Mugcup

Kei Ushigaki trained under Living National Treasure Jun Isezaki and later established his own kiln in Kagoshima, his grandfather’s homeland.
Seeing Bizen-yaki from the distance of Kagoshima allowed him to rediscover its appeal; this piece embodies that renewed vision.

Fired in the anagama he built in Kagoshima with fine clay, it presents a scarlet-and-amber gradation characteristic of wood firing.
There is little Kigoma across the surface—only a faint sesame sheen around the rim—so the ripe-apple-skin scarlet rightly takes center stage.

In form, it faithfully carries the Isezaki clan vocabulary: the body is trimmed and pared into a clean, stylish profile that suits contemporary daily use while preserving the spirit of Bizen-yaki.

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.