Rice bowl

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.

For this firing, several identical bowls were stacked, and because the flame did not strike the surface directly, Hidasuki patterns transferred only where the straw touched. The result is a delicate landscape despite the use of an anagama kiln.

Here the clay surface takes center stage more than the Hidasuki: the various constituents within the clay stand out with crisp clarity, offering a quietly compelling visual interest.

Maintaining sensible sturdiness while being pleasantly thin, the bowl is light in the hand and easy for daily use, refined for contemporary tables without losing 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.