Nobue Ibaraki

Sano City, Japan

The use of clay to create ceramics is one of humanity’s oldest art forms dating back thousands of years before recorded history. It continues to be one of the most popular methods of artistic expression and practical creation to this day. Situated within this legacy is the work of Nobue Ibaraki, an artist whose pieces could belong in a museum exhibit of ancient pottery just as easily as serving as wabi-sabi inspired decorations within the interiors of a contemporary home.

Located in Sano City, Japan, Ibaraki forms her clay pots, pitchers and vases within her home workshop. Informed by her Japanese fashion and ceramic design education and influenced by her love of ancient Persian and Greek art, Ibaraki blends concepts both old and new. 

The imperfect, artifact-like style of her work stems from a preference to abandon the potter’s wheel and instead shape her clay completely by hand. Colored in earthy, subdued tones, the textured, raw matte finishes of Ibaraki’s pieces harken to ancient ceramic relics. These ties to human history result in age-old motifs crafted within the knowledge of contemporary design.