I know I am not the only one who draws inspiration from this man. His work; simple, austere, technically amazing (watch his demo below). He really is something to watch. I don’t know what it is about his work that attaches me to it. It could be the spirit of tradition that it imbues. I would love to have met him.

“To return to mingei, the problem is how does the individual artist today approach folkcraft. Of course the answer is that he should look after his character first. The problem of his own character must come foremost. With one’s intellect, with one’s mind, one can understand what tradition means. The folk art formula may be fed though the mind and through the intellect. But in work, what comes out must come out through one’s own fingertips, one’s own hands, otherwise it is no work at all…. Because Yanagi was a critic and dealt in words, he used the term “beauty” a great deal to express what he was trying to say. In my case, being a workman, I do not feel any lack by not using that word…. Beauty is not in the head or in the heart, but in the abdomen.”

- Shoji Hamada

His close friend Bernard Leach said of his work: ‘His pots are a living expression of the man himself’. For biographical information visit this site.

Shoji Hamada demonstrating at the University of Hawaii during a lecture tour which Leach and Hamada under took in 1953.

Signature and Hamada’s chop

(inside of box lid)

Press Moulded Bottle:
A press moulded rectangular bottle by Shoji Hamada. Decorated in typical fashion with Hamada’s distinctive brush work.

Teabowls by Shoji Hamada

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Take, for instance, eating and apple. The primitives took it right off the tree and ate it, skin, seeds, and all. But today we seem to think that peeling it looks better, and then we cut it up and stew it and make a jam of it and prepare it in all kinds of ways. In preparing the apple, quite often we commit many errors on the way. But in just taking it off the tree and eating the whole thing, there are no mistakes to be made”.

- Shoji Hamada

Watch a little bit about what he means below:

For a more comprehensive video of Hamada in action:

Shoji Hamada: A Potter’s Way and Work VHS