Japanese Ceramic Artist

Japanese ceramic artist Kaoru Sakurai works with the natural materials of her surroundings, creating ceramics from local Mashiko clay and wood ash made from trees and plants found nearby.

Her exploration of ash glaze began with an interest in finding new uses for thinned wood from the forests of her hometown. Through firing, minerals absorbed by the trees from the earth are transformed, appearing within the glaze as subtle colours and crystalline details. Her surfaces are inherently unpredictable, revealing qualities that cannot be entirely controlled or replicated.

For Sakurai, the role of the maker is to shape the work while allowing the inherent beauty of the materials to emerge. Her vessels embody this balance between intention and chance, with each firing revealing new expressions within the clay and ash.