KAYO HASHIZUME

Born 1971 in Yame City, Fukuoka Prefecture.

I was born and raised in an area where Japanese tea production is thriving, so I enjoyed tea on a daily basis.

In 2000 I graduated from Seto Ceramics Technical Training School, in Aichi Prefecture where I studied pottery and made various works of plates, bowls and vases. In 2005 I returned to my hometown in order to construct a kiln and continue producing various pieces. With the urge to represent my hometown and their love for tea, I devoted myself to making teapots and tea cups.

The kiln that I use is a firewood kiln and the firewood is sourced from the local forestry industry. The thin edge part of the log (Kyogi) which is made after being cut into squares is used in the kiln. The clay that I use is a blend from my local mountain which is the soil from ruins of a kiln from about 150 years ago. While enjoying tea and studying, I go to the mountain every day to dig soil, obtain firewood and light the kilns in order to find a balance between tea and pottery.

The studio name “Chakabuki”, is taken from "Toucha", which is a pastime surrounding drinking tea. It is directly translated as “Tea Kabuki”. It is a game to guess the type of tea by drinking 3 types of tea.

CHAKABUKI – KAYO HASHIZUME