Kunitaro Kasai - The Story of the Artist
The town of Hanazono is located a short distance from the bustling areas popular for sightseeing in Kyoto, such as Arashiyama and Uzumasa. Old shops can be seen here and there, and it is a calm place that suits the expression of Old town. Kunitaro Kasai's workshop "HANI" is located in a small alleyway of such a city.
Mr. Kasai says that he likes this town the most in Kyoto.
“There is good transportation, and there is a Starbucks with a good atmosphere. "
I had created a classic image of an artist on my own, and while I was a little surprised, I felt a pleasant sense of familiarity with him.
The first thing that surprised me when I visited Mr. Kasai's workshop was how neat and tidy it was. Not only was the work in progress neatly arranged, but even the small tools were arranged in a pleasant way. Wall-mounted shelves are also used, and you can't help but think of a stylish kitchen.
Even the smallest tools are arranged neatly.
As many of you know, the DAISY series is one of Mr. Kasai's representative works. Recently, it is often sold out at the same time as the sale wherever he put it.
“We use red clay, which has a lot of iron and turns red when fired. By applying a white milky glaze to it, it becomes such a calm atmosphere. "
The cute flower petals that captivate DAISY fans, myself included, are handmade one by one. Pour the thick white soil into the dropper and drop it little by little while imagining the petals of a flower. It is a very delicate work, but one piece is completed in no time while rotating the plate. It looked lovely even before it was fired.
The cute container is born from the cool hand.
The DAISY series was born a long time ago, and he doesn't remember what triggered it. But he liked old textiles and looked at them often, so he probably got inspiration from them.
Mr. Kasai imagines an ideal image of "a happy dining table" when creating his work.
“I have an image of a happy dining table that looks like something out of an old cookbook that I had when I was a kid. "
That's why it makes me happy when I see people using it on SNS. Everyone, let's upload a lot.
In the future, Mr. Kasai wants to move his workshop and integrate his work and home even more. I could tell from the way he was talking that he really enjoy making pottery.
We receive shipments to our store about once every six months. Due to its popularity, we regret that we cannot deliver it to everyone who wants it, but we hope that you will look forward to it.
▶︎See Kunitaro Kasai's product list
The decoration of the petals is completed.
Glazed and dried. The sun was shining and it was a magical atmosphere.
Books to read during breaks.
In front of the workshop.
<Profile of Kunitaro Kasai>
1977 Born in Hokkaido, Japan. After graduating from Kanazawa College of Art with a degree in design, he graduated from the Kyoto Prefectural Ceramics Technical College, and since 2009 has been making pottery at Kutani Seiyo in Ishikawa Prefecture. In 2016, he became independent in Kyoto and established the workshop "HANI". The DAISY series, in which small petals are colored, is a representative work, and is a popular artist not only in Japan but also overseas.
