Vol.4. Hiroshi Goseki

I met Goseki-san while visiting Shikamaru Takeshita’s wood firing. He came to help Shikamaru-san for the firing process which takes 5 straight days of throwing woods into the kiln. Living closed to pottery town of Mashiko, potters help each other for the physically demanding wood firing process which in fact creates a great community for the potters.

Goseki-san was graduated from Tohoku University of Art and Design, and then became an apprenticeship under Jun Isezaki, a master artist in Bizen. In Bizen, he learned the depth of Bizen-yaki and wood-firing process. Even after moving to Ibaraki where he is now, he uses clay from Bizen and does Bizen style wood firing.

He often tries to create the best of Bizenware, but at the same time he tries to express what is possible with clay and fire in his own way. These days, he focus on ceremonial grade tea-wares, Japanese style vase, and sake-wares. Those are considered to be collectibles and not usually for daily use. He does not mass produce and makes one by one with heart.

Many thanks for his wife and kids who welcomed us with big smile.