Haga Minoru Hakuhaku Plate 19cm

This piece is by Minoru Haga, a potter working in Sera Town, Hiroshima Prefecture.

Haga learned Mino ware in Gifu, a pottery-producing region, and later worked as a potter while employed at an automobile factory. To devote himself full-time to his creative work, he opened a studio in Sera Town, close to his hometown of Fuchu City, in 2010.
His works simultaneously encompass two contrasting impressions: a dynamic, inorganic feel that evokes the beauty and harshness of nature, alongside a slight human softness added to simple forms.

The "ume-yaki" (buried firing) technique is a unique method that involves bisque firing, then glazing and main firing, followed by re-firing in a wood-fired kiln by burying the pieces in firewood.
Although this method carries a high risk of failure, it results in pottery with complex expressions, which Haga pursues with great dedication.

"Hakuhaku" (stripped white) is a new endeavor using white glazes, but it involves intentionally applying glaze and then stripping it away, purposefully bringing out a decayed texture.
The price range is accessible, and the simple color tones enhance the food served on them.

"Kurogin" (black silver) is a silver technique that reveals the raw texture of the clay.
The glare is suppressed, creating a work where a metallic texture harmonizes well with the black of the earth.

Haga presents the inherent irreversibility of pottery with extreme sincerity.
What lies there is not a simple contrast of destruction and rebirth, but an attitude of confronting "irretrievability" itself.
We hope you enjoy Haga, who skillfully uses various techniques.

■Size: Diameter 19cm, Height 3.5cm
■Weight: Approximately 340g
■Microwave: ◯ / Dishwasher: △ / Oven: ×

*Minoru Haga's works greatly value serendipity, so there are significant individual differences.
While the photos show pieces of roughly the same size, the patterns and precise sizes of each piece will vary, so please consider them as illustrative examples.
"Ume-yaki" tends to have a more random nature than "Hakuhaku." We appreciate your understanding.

＜Minoru Haga＞
1983 Born in Fuchu City, Hiroshima Prefecture
2008 Completed Tajimi City Pottery Design and Technical Center, received Graduation Project Award
2012 The 24th Toki City Oribe Day Memorial Project, 5th Contemporary Tea Ceremony Exhibition, TOKI Oribe Encouragement Award
2013 The 25th Toki City Oribe Day Memorial Project, 6th Contemporary Tea Ceremony Exhibition, Selected
2014 Built a wood-fired kiln in Sera-cho, Sera-gun, Hiroshima Prefecture