Hitomi Hosono

In layers of porcelain daisies

• Hitomi crafts handmade nature-inspired porcelain vessels
• She learnt her sprig technique at the English maison Wedgwood
• It can take up to two years for her to complete one of her pieces

It was at high school in Japan, in the Gifu Prefecture – an area with strong ceramic connections – that Hitomi Hosono first encountered porcelain and fell in love with its smooth and tactile quality. She studied ceramics in Japan, in Denmark, and then at the Royal College of Art in London. Her exquisite signature style developed from originally seeing Wedgwood Jasperware in museums, with its unglazed matte finish and the application of botanical details. Hitomi participated in an internship at Wedgwood, and then became an artist-in-residence at the Wedgwood destination in Stoke-on-Trent. Working from her studio in East London, or her garden studio in Essex, Hitomi crafts very intricately carved flora pieces in porcelain, which she applies to a thrown vessel to build the final form.

Interview

©Sylvain Deleu

©courtesy of Adrian Sassoon, London

Where do you look for inspiration?

Nature is an important part of my life. I explore the greenery wherever I am, and I analyse the forms I see. All the while I also mix in my memories of nature in Japan, from foraging ferns in the forest to picking flowers on my walk to school when I was little.

What aspect of the making process do you enjoy most?

I enjoy it all in different ways. Throwing needs a high level of concentration, and I have to be quick, so it is a wonderful kind of exercise. Carving the leaves and flowers – sometimes hundreds and hundreds of them! – is repetitive work, but it becomes a beautiful meditation. Taking the piece from the kiln is always an exciting thrill after waiting such a long time.

Do you have apprentices?

I have a couple. For them, it is a mixture of working and learning as there is much training in the use of tools for my work. For me, it is a very positive experience, as I too am learning when I refine some techniques whilst I teach.

How do you blend tradition with a contemporary aesthetic?

My technique is traditional – it has been developed for centuries as it is the most effective and suitable for the material, but I have adapted and developed it for myself. What makes a piece contemporary is that I do not try to copy nature, I aim to extract the essence of nature.

Hitomi Hosono is an expert artisan: she began her career in 2009

Works

©Courtesy of Adrian Sassoon, London

©Courtesy of Adrian Sassoon, London

©Courtesy of Adrian Sassoon, London

Where