Yukiko Kitahara

Made in Spain, rooted in Japan

• Yukiko works with porcelain, a seemingly fragile yet resistant material
• She creates essential items in pure white
• Her aim is to create objects that will endure over time

Yukiko Kitahara was born and raised in Japan but has been living in Andalucía half her life. Born to a family of sushi chefs, since her childhood she has been learning about the art of cooking and the importance of highlighting food against tableware. This influenced her use of the colour white in her porcelain, allowing the object's contents to play the main role, in harmony with shape. Her workshop, Taller Kúu, is where Yukiko’s vision comes to life. Her creations are inspired both by nature and the environment we live in with its contradictions and faults. Her world is a delicate one, a symbiosis between Japanese and Andalucían cultures, and it is a world that has garnered her international attention.

Interview

©Claudio del Campo

©Claudio del Campo

What does Taller Kúu mean?

Kúu combines the Japanese terms Ki (energy) and Kúuki (air); Kúu is an empty space, full of energy, where creativity has no limits. Anything can happen in the 'taller', which is the Spanish word for workshop. Taller Kúu is my two halves, where I come from and where I live and make my pieces.

Why do plastic bottles inspire you?

I used to live in the mountains where there were problems with waste. I developed the concept of 'usar y no tirar' (use, don't throw away) to make pieces which would be used more than once. My inspiration came from disposable items like bottles and coffee cups, turned into something that would last.

And you also find inspiration in animals...

This is my tribute to nature, animals and other elements of the natural world. My cups have handles shaped like animals, and I picture them as leaning on nature, relying on it. It's a further reflection on how we impact on the environment and why it means so much to me to make pieces that will last.

Is Japan's ancient ceramic tradition important to you?

In 1991 I left the corporate world to pursue a career as a ceramicist. Studying in Japan, with local masters, was seminal for me. Any time I go to Japan I research local tools, made of bamboo, which I feel are essential in the painstaking process of making porcelain pieces.

Yukiko Kitahara is an expert artisan she began her career in 1991

Works

©Claudio del Campo

©Claudio del Campo

©Claudio del Campo

©Claudio del Campo

©Claudio del Campo

Where