In Japan, people barely know “Kigata Banko” is one of the rare technique to produce teapots using wooden molds discovered in my home town Yokkaichi Mie. The thin pressed clay wrapped around this puzzled wooden mold, make the shape of a teapot. After the manufacturing process, only few people make this teapot in Yokkaichi. In the Netherlands, embroidery is famous as traditional hand work technique, which not many people are involved with these days. I made a new teapot combining these different techniques and drawing pattern of modern non-daily circumstances which is quite far from the “traditional”.

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Kigata Banko Yaki was invented 190 years ago by Japanese craft artist Yusetsu Mori (1808-1882). He applied a puzzled wooden mold technique to teapot-making for green tea ceremonies. After the teapot is shaped, the wooden mold can be cleverly deconstructed and removed from inside. This technique allows the teapots to keep the warm handmade feel while being very thin and light, perfectly suitable for preparing green tea.

Japanese artist Haruka Matsuo graduated from Kyoto City University of Arts and Gerrit Rietveld Academy Amsterdam. Having studied under Seigetsu Iriyama (1922-2014), Haruka is the 9th successor of Kigata Banko Yaki technique. She adds elements from her own artworks into each tea set giving them a light and modern look.

Meanwhile the molds that these tea sets are made with, are over 120 years old.