Gato Ceramics & Japanese Food

In the delicate transition between fall and winter, the climbing kiln (noborigama) at Hiroshi Toyofuku’s studio comes alive with anticipation. The smoke spiraling from its brick chimney, an iconic sight in the Bizen region of Japan, is an important indication of kiln’s temperature for the patient potter tending the fire. What emerges out of the week-long journey through flames and ashes is a testament to a thousand-year-old tradition, a unique iteration of Bizen pottery. We visited the studio of Hiroshi Toyofuku, where we delve into his artistic process, techniques, and the mesmerizing firing of his exceptional Bizen creations.

Bizen pottery, or Bizen-yaki, is a timeless style of pottery originating from the Bizen region of Japan, with roots dating back a millennium. What sets Bizen ware apart is its striking simplicity, characterized by the absence of glazing and other decorative embellishments such as carvings and drawings. Instead, Bizen pottery is shaped by the very properties of the earth itself. Through a transformative journey within the kiln, where it encounters searing heat and the gentle touch of pine wood flames, the clay undergoes a profound metamorphosis. This alchemical interaction between clay, flame, and pine ash leaves behind distinctive markings on the ceramic surface, creating a mesmerizing tapestry of ever-evolving patterns known as ‘scenery.’ In a world where pottery often embraces a myriad of glazes, colors, and designs, Bizen ware stands as a striking exemplar of elegance through uncompromising simplicity.

In the grand tapestry of Bizen ware’s history, Hiroshi Toyofuku emerges as a visionary potter with a profound reverence for this ancient tradition. Toyofuku creates his work entirely through hand building, unlike the more common wheel throwing using an electric pottery wheel. This laborious process allows for a creation of his iconic architectural form that extensively uses surfaces, angles and a subtle asymmetry. What emerges from his painstaking process is a collection of ceramic pieces that offer an elegant display of Bizen’s very terrain. The land itself, with its rolling hills, rice field, and rich, unyielding earth, is embodied in these creations. The architectural form of Toyofuku’s ceramics are simultaneously juxtaposing and synergizing this connection with nature, celebrating it’s coalescence with the artistic process.

Toyofuku’s commitment to exploring the world of unglazed pottery is further emphasized by his embrace of “Shizen Nerikomi” or “natural kneading”. This lesser-known clay preparation technique minimizes the homogenization of the clay after harvesting, preserving its innate characteristics as closely as possible to its original state. Toyofuku dedicates approximately two months of his year solely to the meticulous clay preparation process. Toyofuku’s masterful craftsmanship shines through as he prioritizes preserving the earth’s texture over taming the clay through homogenization.

For Toyofuku, who fires his kiln only once a year, there is an undeniable devotion, both to the legacy of Bizen pottery and to his own creative process. After a year of preparation, Toyofuku carefully fills his three-chambered climbing kiln (noborigama) with an array of vessels, ranging from powerful flower vases, tableware and elegant incense burners. The mountain of pine wood stacked beside the kiln has been drying for an entire year, patiently awaiting its role to come. In just a week, this wood will be consumed, slowly elevating the kiln’s temperature to about 1200˚C. Bizen clay possesses a unique quality, vitrifying at a lower temperature compared to clay from other regions of Japan. While this property allows Bizen pottery to become non-porous without the use of glazes, it also means that a kiln overheated by even a fraction can undo an entire year’s worth of work. This is why Bizen pottery is known in Japan as the art of earth and fire.

After a week of cooling, what emerges from the kiln is a collection of ceramic pieces that eloquently display the essence of Bizen’s terrain. It’s as though the very land, with its rolling hills, rice field, and rich, unyielding earth, finds its embodiment in Toyofuku’s creations. The architectural forms of his ceramics both contrast and harmonize with this profound connection, celebrating nature’s fusion with the artistic process.

What sets Toyofuku’s work apart is its ability to reveal different facets under varying circumstances, lighting conditions, and times of day. These vessels, bearing the imprints of fire and the spirit of the land, resonate with a living texture—raw and elegant, ever-changing in response to shifting angles. They transform with the hours, inviting viewers to explore their nuanced personalities as sunlight dances across their surfaces or as the ambient light gracefully shifts.

-> See works of Hiroshi Toyofuku on our online store