[Ceramic artist: Hiroki Nakao interview part 2] Even coincidences are inevitable

-- Are glazes really something special to you, Nakao-san?

I agree.

I'm not the type of person who is quick with my hands, so I thought I needed a different weapon.

If you can't compete with speed, try competing with glaze.

At the ceramics testing laboratory, I was particularly enthusiastic about studying glazes, and I conducted a lot of research and testing.

This decision helped me arrive at my current style, so I'm glad I was so particular about it.

── What is the joy of creating art?

This is the moment the pot is taken out of the kiln.

I have a certain image of what the finished product will look like, but when it fits perfectly, it feels really good.

Of course, there are still failures.

In the past, I wasn't very good at handling glazes, and there was a time when I was lucky if one-third of my work was successful.

So, I do get nervous when I take the pot out of the kiln, but I think I feel more excited than excited (laughs).

── Are there any moments when you feel the difficulty of production?

They're all difficult.

Glazing is still difficult for me, and I'm really not good at loading the kiln before firing, so there are times when I wish someone would take over.

I'm basically clumsy (laughs).

── Do you feel like you're confronting nature?

I use an electric kiln, so it's not like I'm "praying to the fire god," but unexpected things still happen.

I want to cherish those parts that I can't control.

I believe that what cannot be seen or put into words is the energy of nature.

It is this kind of energy that allows unexpected works to be created.

So, even though it can be difficult at times, I am always grateful for nature.

── Could you also tell us about the changes in your style?

In high school, I made objects rather than vessels.

After I started working, I started making folk art style items, and then I started making items with a more refined impression.

Now I create while respecting nature and Japanese culture.

In the past, I had a strong sense of "making things for myself," but recently I have felt more and more like I wanted to invigorate the people around me and my environment.

I would be happy if someone could be made happy by my vessel.

── Do you still have the desire to create objects?

There aren't any at the moment.

When I was in high school, I was full of ideas for objects and made so many.

Right now, I'm enjoying tableware, so I'm concentrating my energy and ideas there.

I have a personality that allows me to only make things that I want to make, so I can't make anything unless I have an image in my mind.

But if I come up with something someday, I'd like to give it a try.

It's a little difficult to explain, but there is something like "will" or "inevitability" in the way I create things.

I feel like I'm creating what I can based on the circumstances of the moment.

Now is the time to make dishes, and I think I'll find something else over time.

── Please tell us about your future challenges.

I would like to try more creative work using raw clay.

I'm still working on it little by little, but I'd like to expand it even further.

I also want more people to experience my work.

Our next challenge is to deliver energy through our vessels to as many people as possible.

Nakao creates pottery with a beautiful blend of colors in his quiet workshop surrounded by the nature of Shigaraki.

It felt as though Nakao's journey as a ceramic artist, a mixture of chance and necessity, was reflected directly in his works.

It was a moment that made me think that perhaps this interview was inevitable.