Japanese potter Tamotsu Suzuki’s new collection of signature vases arrive at the gallery

“ All my work is hand-built showing the traces of my fingers.
It's hard to decide which forms are your favourites.  I enjoy making every item.  
If I dare say it, it's a vase with a high degree of freedom in shape. ”

Tamotsu Suzuki is based in Yamanashi on the island of Honshu, southwest of Tokyo. Since Tamotsu studied at the Tokyo University of the Arts, his work is reminiscent of organic plant forms. A flower that blooms quietly, the strong roots of the plant and buds that seem to reach out to connect life. Inspired by plants that live powerfully in nature, Tamostu continues to express using the ground, which is the foundation of these plants, as a material.

“ My studio is located at the foot of Mt. Yatsugatake in Yamanashi Prefecture, at an altitude of 900 meters, a place rich in nature. The area is very cold in the winter, but the summer is comfortable and you can enjoy growing flowers and vegetables. I have an environment where I could touch nature on a daily basis. Plants change with the seasons, and their shapes, scents, and textures all stimulate the five senses. ”

Tamotsu’s tableware, rather than directly imitating nature, captures the feeling of it through his earthy textures and rustic forms that evoke organic matter.

Tamotsu works with red clay finished with a Japanese “kohiki” style slip. His continuous experimentation with clay and the varieties of its compositions connects to his fascination with the earth as medium and subject.

“ I use red clay that has a lot of iron.  This is because the baked clay becomes darker and contrasts with the slip. Kohiki" is originally a technique to make it look white, but it shows various expressions depending on the iron content of the clay, the shade of the slip, and the combination of the glaze. I sometimes use white slip to get a black matte texture. ”