Akiko Hirai 'Sake Bottle Grey 5'

Dimensions: ø 13.5 cm x H 16 cm

Materials: Porcelain and stoneware blend 

Method: Hand Thrown 

Description:

This sculptural sake bottle is a bold expression of raw materiality and form. Thrown in stoneware and layered with slips and glazes, its textured surface features eruptions and flows that blur the line between function and art. The irregular silhouette and heavily encrusted glaze lend it a geological, almost volcanic presence, a vessel shaped as much by instinct as by fire. Deeply tactile and unapologetically visceral, this piece stands alone as a contemplative object or as part of a curated collection. 

About the Artist

Akiko Hirai blends traditional Japanese and contemporary studio pottery methods. Her motivation to study ceramics came soon after moving to London in 1999, where she was introduced to Korean moon jars in the British Museum. By being trained at the University of Westminster and Central St. Martins, as well as working as a lecturer and ceramics technician at Kensington and Chelsea College of Arts, London, Hirai is highly acclaimed and sought after by collectors worldwide.

Using a combination of traditional and contemporary pottery techniques makes Hirai a versatile artist who produces a vast range of functional objects and artworks. In her process of craftmaking, she relies on instinctual impulses and often shuns away from her rhythm being static or repetitive.