Me and Ceramic Art 陶芸を再開しました

                     My hand made ceramics in Japan and Switzerland

            過去に作った陶磁器、備前、染付け、ポースレインペインティング

As an executive chef, monitoring and improving the quality of foods and services the team provide at the restaurant are always priority and in process on daily-basis, however on the contrary, renewing the tableware was something I haven’t been able to proceed to next step, even though it was always in my mind.

Up until now, we have been using the tableware the former head chef selected, dishes specially made for dainty Japanese Kappou style course menu and also works of local ceramists. All the while I kept trying to figure out what is most suitable for unison of culinary experience of my food and British atmosphere, and finally I came to the conclusion that; “I have to create them by myself”

I started to develop my interest towards ceramic art almost at the same time as I began aspiring to become a chef in my early 20s, since then I have self-taught myself and visited quite few places well-known for authentic pottery in Japan. In order to learn different varieties, it is important to see with my own eyes as a character of Japanese pottery completely varies depending on location. Most of my works I have done then, with helps with ceramists I had pleasure of knowing, are now in my old home back in Japan, but I still carry some of them with me, even here in London.

In Britain, gathering ingredients and accomplishing all the processes by myself are almost impossible to achieve, needless to say how reckless to even think of fitting a kiln into my itsy-bitsy apartment, and not to let my main role as a head chef be compromised over this, again I will have to have pleasure of working with other ceramists who kindly offered to help. After many discussions and trials and errors, I am certain that we will achieve something astonishing, and I would like to start first trial with British clays and porcelains of Limoges. I already cannot wait to meet them.

陶芸を始めました。

料理長になって、料理やサービスのあれこれ、組織を変えるのは現在進行形ですが、ずっと頭にありながら先に進めなかったのがお店で使う食器。

今までは前料理長が選んだ京会席料理風の割烹食器や現地の陶芸家が作った作品を引き続き使い続けながら英国で私が使う食器のありかたを考え続けていましたが、結論として“自分で作るしかない”という結論に至りました。

　陶芸は料理人を志し始めた20代前半の頃から独学で勉強し、備前、信楽、乾山写しの作家さん達に焼いてもらっていました。ほとんどが日本の実家にしまったままですが、一部は海外に持ち歩いています。

　英国では当然土作りや焼成などは、メイフェアの雀の巣ほどの私のフラット（部屋）では窯を置く場所もなく、本業もおろそかには出来ないのであくまでもお手伝いしていただく陶芸家と相談しながら試行錯誤していく予定です。英国の陶土とリモージュの磁器土から始めています。どんな食器が出来るのか？楽しみです。