"Tomohiro Uchida and UNDECORATED" is an exhibition that started on May 3rd.

We interviewed ceramic artist Tomohiro Uchida, from how he started ceramics to his future aspirations.


――First of all, what prompted you to start ceramics?

Uchida: It was truly by chance. (laughs) I was originally interested in Japanese literature, but that was as far as it went. When I entered university, I was handed a flyer for a ceramics club, and joining that club was my trigger. Then, when I was job hunting, I first started to think of it as a profession.

Kono: Is that so? I was surprised by your unexpected entry into ceramics!


――Did you pursue a career as a ceramic artist after graduating from university?

Uchida: No, first, I attended a vocational school for two years. There, I learned basic knowledge and techniques, and then I became an apprentice to Mr. Kuroda.


――In the past, it was common for apprentices to become independent, but I don't think that's the mainstream now. Given that, why did you choose to apprentice under Mr. Kuroda?

Uchida: This was also completely by chance. (laughs) The recruitment notice for a ceramics class run by my senior apprentice came to the vocational school, and at first, I intended to get a job there as a teacher. However, just at that time, there was an opening for an apprentice under my master, and that's how I joined. The timing was really good.




――What was life like under Mr. Kuroda?

Uchida: I commuted while living in a nearby apartment, but it was also around the time Kuroda was building a new house, so I spent more time helping with the house and garden than with ceramics. I particularly remember stacking Izu stones and building a large gate. Most of all, I was able to experience my master's life firsthand, which was a very valuable time.

――What do you feel you have inherited from Mr. Kuroda's work?

Uchida: My image of white porcelain changed significantly after I became an apprentice. Until then, I had a somewhat "product-like" image of porcelain, but my master's white porcelain had a softness and freshness to it... It was a huge shock to me, and I think I've been particularly influenced by that aspect.

Kono: Indeed, Mr. Uchida's works have a certain softness, don't they? I'm one of those captivated by that softness. In the context of porcelain having a precise image, Mr. Uchida's soft and warm works are truly captivating.






――Is there a reason you chose the path of white porcelain?

Uchida: About half a year after I started vocational school, I began to strongly focus on the silhouette and outline of my vessels. In doing so, I realized that to make the lines look beautiful, the surfaces had to be perfectly smoothed, and I became very drawn to the smooth and fine surface of porcelain clay as a material.

Kono: So that's where the delicacy in your work comes from. Coffee cups are fundamentally seen as something to be used, right? But the coffee cups you create make me think that they would look lovely even just placed casually in everyday life.

 

 

――What is the one thing you are most particular about in your work?

Uchida: It's difficult to pick just one thing, but as I shape and refine the form of the vessel by shaving, I try to retain a certain "undulation" from the potter's wheel. I believe this contributes to the overall soft impression of the piece.

 

――Finally. Please tell us about your future outlook.

Uchida: I'm not the type who can plan far ahead, so for now, I want to diligently complete the work I've been given. However, I want to make sure I don't lose my desire to challenge new things.

 

 

Tomohiro Uchida
1986 Born in Kumamoto Prefecture
2012 Graduated from Izumi Ceramic Art Institute, apprenticed under Taizo Kuroda
2019 Held first solo exhibition at Koh KYOTO
Currently creating ceramics in Fuji City, Shizuoka Prefecture

Tomohiro Uchida and UNDECORATED
5/3 (Tue) - 5/8 (Sun) 1PM - 7PM
groundfloor Gallery
1-8-1 Nakameguro, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 2F
03-3794-4037