When we first came upon the ceramics of Nobue Ibaraki, we were entranced… There was so much grace and humility abounding from her shapes, we wondered for a moment if we had stumbled upon long lost vessels from Mesopotamia or Ancient Greece. Rather than chase the crystalline glamour of high-fire ceramics, Nobue has dedicated herself to the art of earthenware. We immediately contacted her to acquire a few pieces for the stores. Over a year later, we are happy to announce the arrival of a large body of work straight from her studio in Sano, Japan, a small city north of Tokyo.
Born in Niigata, Japan, Nobue studied fashion design before finding her calling in ceramics. In her small home studio, she gathers clay locally and then shapes it by hand to achieve her organic forms. Her unique tonal finishes are the result of the alchemy that occurs during firing, developing from the reaction between the cobalt and copper of the glazes and the iron-rich clay of the vessels. In addition to being sought after globally, her accolades include being commissioned by the famed Noma Kyoto to create all of their dinnerware.
Nobue’s textures are earthy and spontaneous, yet rendered with a skilled hand. Her work embodies the Japanese concept of wabi sabi, a celebration of simplicity and the perfection found in irregular and imperfect goods. In her collection, find objects as rugged as they are sensitive. These are pieces that play well with others, but make a fine statement on their own—perhaps most at home set upon a wooden table with a few dried flowers poking out the top.
Nobue Ibaraki is currently only available in Wild Life. If you would like to contact us about this collection please visit our Wild Life store or call (505) 982-6192 for assistance.
