We talked to Kentaro Murayama of Kentaro kiln, which is attractive to create a unique presence that emerges the individuality of soil in a simple shape.
[1] About the trigger of pursuing the path of crafts, the background of your own, the history and formation of the workshop
Kentaro kiln, a karatsu ware potter in Karatsu City, Saga Prefecture, is located on the mountains of Kagamiyama, a symbol of Karatsu, and you can overlook the rainbow Matsubara and Karatsu Bay from the studio.
Murayama, born in Karatsu City, graduated from Arita Ceramics University, studied under Kiyomi Kawakami, and opened an independent kiln.
Mr. Murayama, who cares carefully about the connection with the climate, says that he digs a stone with his own hands, crushes it with a hammer to make clay, and then makes a pottery. Furthermore, the glaze applied to the surface of the pottery is handmade from the ash of firewood buried with a wood stove during the winter. I do everything from the ingredients of the pottery to the construction of the bowl with my own hands. Nowadays, there are few potters that are digging and clay making in the country.
Mr. Murayama, who says, "I want to do what I can do in this area as much as possible," says that in the place where the soil is collected, he has brought out the simple texture of the soil, and continues to make a vessel that feels warm even without excess decoration. increase.
[2] What we value and commitment in the work production, what we want to convey through the work and what we want to fulfill
Mr. Murayama is exploring every day to repeat research on soil and glaze, based on the traditional techniques of Karatsu, and to create a unique texture. Since all the ingredients for making the bowl are obtained from nature, the pottery starts with a place to dig the soil on the mountains in front of Higima, and make clay and glaze from raw materials such as soil, stones, and iron collected by themselves.
"It is necessary to determine the refining method suitable for each soil and determine the burning temperature in the kiln in detail, so it is inefficient and inefficient. I can touch the "secret of things" hidden in technology. Observing the raw material and taking care of the soil as much as possible. "
Mr. Murayama's manufacturing is valued as "an obedient vessel that blends into everyday life", and the shape is as simple as possible so that the owner can keep using it without getting tired.
"In Japan, the boundary between art and products is ambiguous in Japan, but I think Karatsu ware must be a product. You have to be a tool. "
Rather than copying the old Karatsu, which has been loved for a long time as a daily vessel, it is exploring the "modern beauty" that is close to the values and food culture of cooks together in the present era. increase.
[3] What we are trying to inherit traditional technology and culture and what we want to challenge in the future
Murayama says that when the vertical axis is divided into a tradition and the horizontal axis is divided into crafts, the vertical tradition is the axis of manufacturing, which is recognized and connected to the future from the past.
"I would like to prove that even if it is a technique of the past, if you think and practice it, it will still be accepted today. On the other hand, if the horizontal axis does not share the sense with the people who are currently living, I can't use it. So this is also important. You have to make a good balance of vertical tradition and horizontal crafts. "
Beautiful tools that can be used from modern times to the future will be created every day from Mr. Murayama's hands that dig the soil and face firewood fire and kurokuro.
You can see the product here ↓
See the product of "Kentaro Kiln"
In Serendouce Crafts, JapanWe propose modern beauty and comfort living with traditional crafts.
You can also see the work from Instagram.
https://www.instagram.com/serendouce_crafts_/