Between Gesture and Silence
Before shaping my first large piece, I had already made over 200 small ones — cups, plates, ornaments — created slowly, one by one, while learning. I keep them all with care, as they’re part of my beginning. But it was still a quiet, delicate start — a time of experimentation.
Something changed in the studio of my teacher, Magali Ercolin. One day, she showed me a book. It was there, among the materials, as if waiting to be found. And it was.
「手びねりでつくる食の器」
(Tableware made with hand-building)
Written by Kazuhiko Sato (佐藤和彦)
More than teaching shapes, the book revealed a way to connect with clay — a way of making with presence, with intention.
It was after reading that book that I learned the coiling technique. A simple process at first glance, but full of possibilities. Building forms with clay rolls, stacking them layer by layer.
That was when everything changed. I began to understand clay as a language. And I started entering a deeper place — more personal, more grounded. A path with no end.
My first piece after this turning point was the vase that gave life to the Entrelaces collection.
Later, inspired by the Japanese tea ceremony, I created another collection:
Silence and Gesture – 静けさと所作 (Shizukesa to Shosa)
Two pieces that speak to one another:
“Silence” is the preparation — the stillness.
“Gesture” is movement — the offering, the visible touch.
This collection reflects, perhaps more clearly, everything I learned from that book and that technique. But it was Entrelaces that opened the path.
For me, everything begins like this:
With a hand that experiments.
With a small piece made with care.
With the right book at the right time.
With the right teacher.
And with clay — always clay.
This path has no end. And maybe that’s what makes it so beautiful.
