Akiko Hirai was born in Japan in 1970. She moved to London in 1999, studying ceramics at the University of Westminster and Central St. Martins. Akiko’s work is both a blend of Japanese and British studio pottery traditions resulting in asymmetrical, ‘imperfect’ organic forms.

‘Junichiro Tanizaki (1886-1965) talked about Japanese aesthetics in architecture, crafts, food and art in his book ‘In Praise of Shadows’.

“The quality that we call beauty must always grow from the realities of life, and our ancestors, forced to live in dark rooms, presently came to discover beauty in shadows, ultimately to guide shadows towards beauty’s ends.”

It was published in 1933. Because of the change of our lifestyle due to the development of technology, people travel long distances easily and the amount of information that we can access is far greater than a decade ago, I feel some of Tanizaki’s statements are perhaps not relevant to our present lifesytle, however, I feel my application of art, design and craft are still strongly based on the aesthetics he described in the book; such as indirect expression of objects and the art of impermanence.

When I make my ceramic ware, I pay more attention to the ‘signs’ of events that happened in the process. It can be a cracked surface that was pulled by the expansion and contraction of the material on the ceramic surface, the unevenness of the colour due to the change of atmosphere in the flame in my kiln, the impurity of the material that comes through to the surface in high heat etc. You think you are looking at the outcome of the events but what we are seeing is not the results of the objects but the forces that create these marks. This is the same mental process of looking at the shadow in order to enjoy the light.

During the process of mass production, commercial tableware are made in the conditioned environment that minimizes theses events and uneven forces. Thus, they have perfect consistency and stillness as domestic objects. This approach is economical and rational, however it can take the life away from the objects. There are no shadows that appear and disappear every time you look at it. There is only a fluorescent light permanently lit upon the object.

I am showing a variety of objects in this exhibition, from vigorously textured Moon Jars to small cups. They are all made with one principal in mind; in praise of shadows.’

Akiko Hirai, 2017

Akiko Hirai

Born: 1970

Place of Birth: Shizuoka, Japan

‘My preference of choosing types of clay when making white ware is the dark and coarse clay most of the time. The whiteness acts as a membrane or a veil. The hints of the true nature of the material appear slightly on the surface. Dark clay which consists of many impurities induces strong chemical changes in heat and the trace of events remains under the veil when it cools down. White, on the other hand, is more stable because of its purity. It is already settled and has a feeling of stillness. Superficially my work appears to be quiet in white. It does not show the rawness of Mother Nature directly. A symbolic figure always looks more perfect than the actual person he/she is. Imagination and fantasy always reinforce the imperfection and achieve the perfection with its own originality. Therefore the completion of my work is done by the viewers. My work is a creation on its own.’ – Akiko Hirai

2002-2003 Central Saint Martins, School of Graphics and Industrial Design, London
2000- 2002 University of Westminster Harrow (transferred to St. Martins)
1989-1993 Aichi Gakuin University, Japan

Public Collections include:
Hepworth Wakefield Collection; Everson Museum, Syracuse, New York, USA; Victoria and Albert Museum, London; National Museum of Ireland; The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge; Keramikmuseum Westerwald (Westerwald Ceramic Museum), Germany

Hirai was shortlisted for the LOEWE craft prize 2019.

In Praise of Shadows

Akiko Hirai

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