Guinomi

Kei Ushigaki trained under Living National Treasure Jun Isezaki before establishing his own kiln in Kagoshima, his grandfather’s homeland.

Viewing Bizen ware from the distance of Kagoshima allowed him to rediscover its appeal; this piece embodies that renewed vision.

Fired in the anagama kiln he built in Kagoshima using fine clay, it features the rich Hidasuki and Kigoma characteristic of wood firing.

Inside the well, the sesame ash glaze is particularly refined and evocative: a beige layer of Kigoma overlain with lemon-yellow Goma, finished in a non-gloss, matte surface that achieves an austerely beautiful effect reminiscent of antique Bizen.

In form, it faithfully carries the Isezaki family aesthetic: thrown with generous thickness, then pared along the sides into an elegant octagonal profile.

The distinctive katakuchi spout completes the design and pours cleanly and decisively.

Kei Ushigaki was born in Kanagawa Prefecture in 1989.

After graduating from Kyoto Traditional Crafts University in 2013, he studied under Jun Isezaki, honing his ceramic technique.

In 2018, he established himself as an independent potter in Kagoshima Prefecture.