FUNCTIONAL CERAMICS - intrinsic -  belonging naturally - essential

WABI SABI DINNERWARE - Wabi-Sabi - The Japanese Philosophy For a Perfectly Imperfect Life.

Early in my career and steeped in the Japanese-Hamada/British-Leach movement, I read “The Book

of Tea” by Okakura Kazuko.    This was and continues to be the most insightful book that I have

ever read.  I do not know how many times I have read it …. and it continues to influence my life.

I have always taken great enjoyment in the experimentation of forms and glazes, and have felt a distinct dislike of having to make matching, western style dinnerware.   In our industrially mass produced society, when I have the opportunity to break with uniformity and monotony, why would I choose to enhance ‘sameness’ in any way?    Hence my choice of using the name WABI SABI DINNERWARE.   No two pieces can possibly be the same, each is made individually by hand and glazed with anticipation.

In my search for something uniquely ‘mine’ I have taken a myriad of directions.   Influences have been worked through, discarding and conjoining until something with potential would appear.   Initially

making pieces for enjoying eating Sushi from, to making all my functional work in a similar way.

A delightful analogy is the fact that traditionally, Japanese food is served on many different types of

serving dishes, all different in their own right, re form, decoration, size etc.   This gives me great

freedom of expression in my functional work, allowing me to make ‘choices’ for people to use at their discretion in the communal act of eating, drinking and sharing food, regardless of the type of food eaten.

Although the work is dishwasher safe, I also encourage the work to be 'washed' by hand.  When wet all sorts of nuances appear in the work.    Color, texture, weight, form etc which makes you slow down and imagine the human touch that has created the object.    A small humanizing act of appreciation.

Each of us are a sum of who has gone before us.

We stand upon the shoulders of our ancestors and teachers

and all of those who have given us guidance on this creative journey.

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Apropros to Appropriation I acknowledge the gift of access to sources during my

Art Education, particularly Art History - that have given me insight and imagination.

Greek Minoen Frescoes - Cycladic Pottery - The use of natural coloured clays and

pigments.   Used since the Stone Age, Palaeolithic times - ie Lascaux cave paintings.

Native US Mimbres Pottery - The Unique Spatial Design system used within a

circle for their extraordinary Black on White Pottery decoration.

Korean-Japanese - The Aesthetics of Ceramics. The words Wabi Sabi - used in

explanation of my functional work, and the Enso, a sacred symbol in

Zen Buddhism - used in decoration.