Looooong time no write!
Long time no write. Finally I finished tidying up my photos from Japan. I always take so many photos when I go on a trip - even when I go to my own country I become a tourist. These photos are from my exhibition - I'm very happy with the display! It's very white though. I met a few friends in Tokyo and some of my friend helped me prepare the exhibition - thanks a lot to my friends!!!
And I met great friends from Brisbane including Kylie and we spent a lovely time in the afternoon around Aoyama and had a fantastic dinner! Thanks for coming to my exhibition!
The adventures of the little people keep expanding...even their bellies are expanding! Check out Sandwich Mountain and Feffakoon for an update on the latest little people news!
Actualy those big bellied little people are in Japan now!
Recently, I've been making a lot of pieces for the exhibition I have in Tokyo in April at a place called Spiral Market. I'm getting ready to send some of my work, but I still have some pieces that I have to fire so it's getting there! I'm heading to Japan soon...it's time to eat sushi and veges that grown by my grandma!
Happy New Year! Already 1/24 of this year has gone...! This year I didn't have much of a new year holiday, but I've been making a lot of small functional pieces which has been very enjoyable. I think the end of the last year was more about paper work instead of producing work. But last year I made one tea set for COLLECT which is an international art fair at the V&A in London. And the exhibition is coming soon! If anyone is in London please check it out!
I've been in Bris Vegas for three years now. But I'm still confused about seasons, particularly the end of the year is tricky for me because I'm from Japan - even though I know I'm in the Southern Hemisphere and I know it's summer here - it just doesn't feel like December!
Recently, I went to some suburb to see the Christmas lights. This was my second time actually. And I realised that Christmas lights are really good to adjust my seasons gap. Because it's visually very Christmassy and it's dark. So I kind of got a sense that 2008 is just around the corner!
This new work is made from flour, eggs and sugar - it's called typhoon. I usually always do hand mixing when I make cakes, but this time I used a machine and I couldn't stop mixing! Machines create many interesting and complicated forms within just a second. I was so excited about it that I ended up over mixing the cream - even though I knew what would happen if I did. Next time I think I should use my hands more!
The Cup Show is now on at the All Hand Made Gallery in Sydney.
More than 40 Australian studio ceramic artists and international artist in that show. (including me)
If you are in Sydney please check it out!!
Long time no write! At this time of year, there is always a lot happening so time just goes so quickly. I always want to show things that I have been given from people and that I love. These paintings are the main character of my house and make the house lovely. Actually these paintings are from my brother-in-law, Dan Brock. He does a lot of different lovely drawings and paintings, and he recently started a blog called Dan Brock Paintings Please check it out!!
I'm involved in group exhibition called Make Art Not War! The Gallery is called onetwentyeight in New York.
It's on until 1 September so If anyone is around please check it out!!
My friend Tomoko is also in that show. Her work is so lovely!!
Thanks for looking after my work Tomoko!!
Long time no write! Actually I went to Japan for three weeks recently to see my family and friends. I had a great time! I enjoyed the food and "Onsens" (hot springs) and seeing nature and meeting with friends and family. It was "tsuyu"(rainy season) which literally means plum rain - sounds lovely doesn't it? While I was there, we had two typhoons but it wasn't too bad around Nara (next to Kyoto). So there were a lot of rainy days - which was kind of enjoyable and a bit unusual because I haven't seen the rain for a long time in Brisbane. But probably the local Japanese people were a bit sick of rain. Actually my friend said "can you take it to Brisbane?" It's a good idea but impossible. Anyway I would love to show you some of the photos from my trip. Stay tune!!
Group exhibition is coming! It's called Ceramics & Glass 2007 at Marks & Gardner Gallery North Tamborine running from 8 July until 5 August.
Mel and Pru, Amanda Joe-Asare, Mollie Bosworth, Michaela Kloeckner, Cathy Keys, Chris Pantano, Jonathon Westacott, Joanna Bone and I are involved so if you're around - please check it out!
Recently I had a lovely day on the weekend. My friends and I did a ceramics session at my friend's place. I was the only one who does ceramics as a full time job - my friends are beginners and haven't had much wheel throwing experience. My friend has an electric wheel but it goes in the opposite direction to mine (which is the common Aussie way) and it doesn't have a switch to let you change the direction (my wheel in Aus doesn't have one either).
In Japan most people throw clockwise (only a few traditional places are doing it the other way). So I'm a clockwise user! Since I came to Australia I had an interesting time because of the wheel direction. I couldn't make decent work because I couldn't find a clockwise turning wheel so I had a little bit of a struggle. I love throwing but I just couldn't do it! But because of this circumstance, I concentrated on hand building - especially slab building. Even now, while I've got a wheel that turns the right way for me, I'm still making hand built stuff most of time.
Anyway, I took my electric wheel along to my friend's place so there were two electric wheels working and my friends were wrestling with the clay. Mud spitting everywhere! Just as they were getting the hang of it, I had to say "STOP!!", because we had a plan to go to GoMA to listen to Mel's talk about Gwyn Hanssen Pigott's work at GoMA. I thought it would be good for my friends to listen to a ceramic artist's talk. The talk went really well and we really enjoyed it! Mel is such a good speaker and I could see that she was enjoying herself. That is why I called this weekend LOVELY!! Apparently my friends have sore muscles though. haha!
Recently some lovely stuff came out of my kiln! I've been playing with round forms and right angle forms lately. It's just a normal, simple approach. But sometimes, I find that taking a simple approach can be the best way to develop new ideas, without the pressure of trying to do something complicated and new. I've just started to explore some lovely new forms, but I'm not rushing. I'm happy to just enjoy small discoveries and little moments of happiness as they happen!
