Akiko Hirai
Ceramics
Akiko Hirai’s tableware is a fusion of Japanese and British ceramic traditions. Her functional pieces are deeply textured using rough, dark clay that is then glazed in soft whites, greys, greens and other natural colours, which create delicate veils of colour between the body of the pot and its surface.
Akiko was born in Japan in 1970. She studied cognitive psychology at Aichi Gakuin University, Japan from 1989 to 1993, then moved to London in 1999 and studied ceramics at the University of Westminster and Central St. Martins. She now works from her studio at The Chocolate Factory in London.
Some of my work may appear to be imperfect. Perfection contains only one message, which is clearly defined by the maker. My attempt is to express the condition of progress in my work; something ambiguous, unsettled and imaginative, so that the user of my work sees the journey the object has taken, from raw clay to firing.
