Hattori Makiko

Born 1984, Mie Prefecture, Japan

Originally a fine art major, HATTORI MAKIKO switched to ceramics when seduced by the softness and sensuality of clay. Her initial works were plaque forms with impressed rose patterning that soon evolved into standing vase forms. While pursuing her master’s degree, she broke from the vessel and focused on sculptural forms with densely packed clay attachments. 

The surfaces of her forms are completely covered, inside and out, with tiny bundles of clay shavings. Numbering in the tens of thousands for each work, the fastidiously applied tiny bundles require incredible patience and meticulous technique. These works are so densely covered in clay that they take six months to effectively dry and are so incredibly time-consuming that only eight to ten works can be created in a year. Hattori prefers to use Seto clay and her works remain unglazed in order to showcase the intricacy of her technique and aesthetic.