is a series of porcelain teapots developed during a three-month residency in Arita, Japan, a region renowned for its Imari porcelain tradition. The project starts from an archetypal Japanese Imari teapot, which is reinterpreted through distortion and intuitive sculptural interventions. During the making process, material unpredictability and technical setbacks are deliberately embraced, allowing unforeseen outcomes to shape the final forms and guide their transformation.
Where traditional Imari ware often presents human narratives through painted decoration, this series shifts the narrative from surface to form. Limb-like elements, subtle bodily references, and expressive gestures humanize the vessels, allowing each teapot to develop a distinct personality. Some appear hesitant or introverted, others playful, bold, or quietly rebellious, moving the objects beyond functionality into a space between utilitarian vessel and sculptural presence.
The series builds on the liquid shooting technique and material knowledge developed during an earlier residency at the European Ceramic Work Centre (EKWC). Traditional Japanese porcelain techniques, including Imari craftsmanship and the philosophy of repair, are combined with this experimental approach. Although all nine teapots originate from the same starting form, each piece evolves through process into an individual character, forming a family of objects that oscillates between shared origin and personal transformation.
residency
residency period
body of work
mold making
partner kiln
funding and support
creative residency arita, japan
may 2025 / september 2025
japanese identiteas
megumi, yamatatsu molding
koransha
stimuleringsfonds creatieve industrie
residency period
body of work
mold making
partner kiln
funding and support
may 2025 / september 2025
japanese identiteas
megumi, yamatatsu molding
koransha
stimuleringsfonds creatieve industrie