Akiko Hirai
London-based Akiko Hirai practices traditional ceramic making in untraditional ways. Her vessels echo the functions of workware while maintaining a shifting balance between primality and delicacy. This balance is best exemplified by her Kohiki ceramics. This technique, modeled after Korean Yi Dynasty Punch'ng wares, utilizes iron-rich clay covered with a white slip and then a translucent glaze. The end result is a finished ceramic with an organic and deeply satisfying surface flecked with white and brown nebulaic patterns.
