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Akiko Hirai
‘Ambivalence’ Moon Jar, 2012
Material: stoneware
Akiko Hirai draws upon traditional Japanese methods when making her ceramics. Her work is a fusion of Japanese and British ceramic traditions. She uses the technique of allowing the clay to show how it wants to be fired. Her pieces are deeply textured and her forms are those of work ware – simple and satisfying. She uses coarse dark clay, creating a veil between the rough forms underneath and the smooth calm of the glazed exterior. Once fired, the chemical impurities of the underlying clay create subtle, often unpredictable, areas of color and shade that can be glimpsed through the whiteness. She welcomes the sense of ambiguity this produces.
Akiko Hirai was born in Japan March 1970. She initially studied cognitive psychology in Japan and obtained her degree in Bachelor of letters before coming to England. During her first visit to England to study English language, she was attracted by the English culture and complexity of multi-cultural society in London. It made her aware of her own cultural influence in her visual perception. Her interests lead her to her second visit to England in 1999. She met many English potters and learned how to work with clay, soon after that she took a degree course in ceramics at the University of Westminster, then onto graduation from Central St. Martins. After her graduation Akiko found her studio in The Chocolate Factory N16 in Stoke Newington amongst other varying artists where she now practises her ceramic work.
| Dimensions | 16 × 16 × 22 in |
|---|---|
| Style | |
| Artist | |
| Date | 2012 |
| Material | stoneware |
