[Ceramic artist: Interview with Takashi Shinohara Part 2] The feelings he puts into his work and the feelings he conveys
-----What do you find joy in your work? -----
I'm happy when I can impress my customers.
I often stand in the store and sell products myself, so I feel very close to the customers.
As I sell, I sometimes see the eyes of customers who probably didn't come to buy pottery light up.
I think that's because my work has been able to move the audience.
Even if I myself cannot move the audience, I believe that my work can do that.
-----On the other hand, are there any difficult times?-----
I do have a dilemma about production.
During my training, I was not able to create pottery the way I wanted to.
Now that I have the right environment, I want to create the kind of pottery I want to make, but I don't have the physical strength to do it (laughs).
-----Do you think it's fun or difficult to deal with earth and fire, which are difficult to control?-----
There are so many difficult things.
Even though I've been doing this for 20 years, there are still many things I don't understand, and it's a constant process of trial and error.
There are limits to the clay and glaze available, and these materials are sensitive to even the slightest changes.
So even if I want to make something like this or recreate something from the past, it often doesn't work out.
In particular, I can't create the things I want to create if I stay in the stable parts.
You have to be a little more aggressive and aim for the unstable parts.
Even now, when we take the pottery out of the kiln, we sometimes find that all the pieces are destroyed.
-----Do you still have feelings for the vessels that didn't turn out well? -----
Yes, there is.
It takes a lot of effort to create a piece of work.
This effort doesn't just take time, but also means that I put the same amount of passion into each and every piece.
Even if it doesn't turn out perfectly, the feelings that went into it won't change.
So even if things don't go as planned, they are still important.
I'm sure that everyone involved in manufacturing feels the same way.
-----What does it mean to you to create something? -----
I'm looking forward to it. It's just fun.
It may be a bit of an exaggeration to say that I want to die on the potter's wheel, but I would like to keep making pottery as long as I can.
----- Please tell us about your future challenges.-----
Until now, we have targeted young people with affordable prices.
From now on, I would like to create works that reflect my own individuality.
I like Mishima and Kohiki pottery, so I would like to infuse my own individuality into them.
My current goal is to develop Mishima in my own way.
-----Finally, please give us a message for those who aspire to become potters.-----
I think the path to pottery takes time.
However, if you keep going, little by little it will definitely take shape.
I think the important thing is not to give up.
Also, the important thing about production is to never be satisfied.
If you become satisfied with creating a good piece of work, your growth will stop there.
I believe that if you always have the feeling that you can do more, you will continue to grow forever.
-----Creating is fun. This interview gave us that realization. -----
