Visit the craftsman – Mino ware My Mino ware

Mino ware: Kato On

Mino ware is a traditional craft of Gifu Prefecture and is a pottery with a long history. The oldest one has been around for 1,300 years, but it is said that it became famous after making teaware for Oda Nobunaga during the Azuchi-Momoyama period.

Fascinated by making things

At a pottery class in Tokyo

Born in Tokyo and raised in Chiba, Kato has always wanted to make something.

However, he became an adult without matching making and making a living, and he worked for a general company.

At that time, I met a pottery class where a person who makes modern things in Tokyo serves as a lecturer.

Mr. Kato thought that I would try to learn a little here, so it was only at this time that he took a step forward in the path of ceramics.

Make it the way you want

While attending the classroom, you will spend every day chewing the fun of making. However, it seems not to have thought that it wanted to do “00 ware” such as Mino ware, Imari, Arita ware, and Kyoto and Shimizu ware at this time yet.

While being taught by the teacher, he satisfied his desire to “make things”, and he says that he came to like the world of ceramics even more.

And, it seems that the teacher is a person from Mino ware if it thinks back, and mino ware was learnt without knowing it though this seems not to have been conscious at that time.

Mino ware soaked in a thick soak

From hobbies to work

While working, I continued to make things that I envisioned in pottery classes and began to exhibit at public exhibitions.

However, Kato says that he did not sell it and did not go beyond his hobby.

It seems that pottery has become a job rather than a hobby after marrying his current husband.

Mr. Kato’s husband is a man who lives in Mino ware, and at the same time as getting married, he moved to live in Gifu Prefecture.

The number of people who are doing Mino ware has increased around, and there is a kiln in his house, and Mr. Kato himself finally comes to be conscious of “Mino ware”.

And when I noticed, I started working as a mino ware creator.

Mr. Kato’s Works

A cup where Mr. Kato can see the leaf veins of the pushing well

a put made of glaze called snow white glaze

Lotus root plate. I plan to challenge other vegetables

The form of what I want to make that comes into view by continuing to make

There are three main types of Kato’s works: carbonization, oxidative snow-white glaze, and reduced works. They cannot be baked in the same kiln. This is because the temperature and method are different.

Because it is necessary to fill up the kiln to bake one type, it is necessary to continue making it every day when three kinds are made, but it seems to believe that this is mr. Kato’s current form and make it.

Mino ware, which he started as a livelihood, was not in his current style from the beginning. I made it, baked it, and saw the work from the kiln, and I felt that I should have done more here, that there was still not enough here, and as I repeated the corrections, it became the current form.

Cute and cool bowls.

With Mr. Kato’s sensibilities

Mr. Kato is currently in his head when making Mino ware, and the feeling that it is “cute” and “cool”. This feeling may create a work different from other Mino ware.

When I asked him what kind of things he wanted to make in the future, he said that he dared not think about it.

By making the future uncertain, it may draw a different future and show a new appearance of Mino ware.

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Mr. Kato, who spoke to me this time,
We are exhibiting at Aoyama Square until November 22 at the Takumi Corner “Mino ware Kato Tou Exhibition”.

During the period, we also have production experiences, so please come and play.