丈夫釜

Joubugama Pottery

Since Joubu Kato, the founder, started firing the “Joubugama” pottery in 1982,
our work has been focused on fine arts and crafts, especially vases.
By studying and perfecting various glazing techniques,
we have developed and continued to use colors that are unique to Joubugama Pottery.
We have taken part in exhibitions abroad,with a large variety of our works created in Kyoto
to pass on the technique to the future generations.

加藤丈尋 / Takehiro Kato

Born in Kyoto in 1968. Started making pottery at Joubugama Pottery in 1988.
The philosophy I always follow when making pottery is that “in order to impress people with your creations, you need to be impressed by your own creations first."

【List of Awards Received】

2004
Selected for the Nitten (selected every time afterwards)
Received the Award of the Director-General of the Kansai Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry at the Kyoto Ware and Shimizu Ware Exhibition
2007
Selected Artists in Kyoto - New Wave
2008
The Spirit of Kyoto Crafts (Kyoto / Paris)
Received the Association Award at the Kyoto Association of Craft Artist Exhibition
2010
Exhibited at the S.N.B.A (Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts) Exhibition
(Carrousel du Louvre)
Exhibited at the China Jingdezhen International Ceramic Fair (Jingdezhen City)
2011
Individual exhibition at the Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Chinzan-so
2012
International Exhibition of Contemporary Pottery (Jingdezhen City, China)
2013
Exhibition at the 50th Anniversary of Kyoto-Cologne Sister City Partnership (Cologne, Germany)
Kyoto Ware Art Exhibition (Paris, France)
The Spirit of Kyoto Crafts 2013 (Kyoto / Nagano) (Hanoi, Vietnam)
2015
Exhibited at Art Fair (Carrousel du Louvre, Paris, France)
Received the Soko-Kai Arts and Crafts Award and Kyoto Shimbun Award at the 27th Soko-Kai Arts and Crafts Exhibition
2016
The 6th Exhibition of Chinese, Japanese and Korean Art (Shanghai, China)

【Affiliated groups】

Nitten affiliate, member of the Kyoto Association of Craft Artists, member of Group of Artists Kogei Kyoto, member of Soko-Kai

How pottery is made

Kneading clay (The “Araneri” and “Kikuneri” techniques)

First, we balance out the hardness of the clay (the “Araneri” technique), and then we push out any air inside the clay to make it ready for shaping (the “Kikuneri” technique).

Shaping

We use an electric pottery wheel to create the shape in a single process.

Cutting and drying

We cut the clay to finalize the shape of the product. The way we create the bottom of the product not only influences its stability, but also plays an important role in creating its overall impression. After the product is shaped, we dry it thoroughly.

Firing (biscuit firing)

Before pottery is glazed, it goes through the biscuit firing process first to make the material stronger.

Painting and glazing

The shapes that can be seen through a transparent glaze layer create a fantastic effect. By adapting the glazing technique to each particular product, such as “nagashikake” (pouring), “fukikake” (spraying), or “nurikake” (coating), we choose the most suitable style for that product. After painting and glazing, the pottery is fired one more time, which completes the process.

About Joubugama Pottery products

There are two colors that can only be seen in Joubugama Pottery products,
the glazing for which has been continuously studied.
“Vermilion,” a somewhat deep color that creates a sense of depth.
“Tricolored glaze,” fading from yellowish green to light blue and to navy blue.
In particular, the “tricolored glaze” is a technique that renders the shapes drawn
under a transparent glaze layer visible after the glaze is applied to the painted surface.
The tricolored glazing technique with fading colors requires a particularly high level of skill,
and there are only a few workers in the workshop who can use that technique.

Project information

We carry out projects in collaboration with companies from other fields and various authors.
Also, we are currently developing products in collaboration with foreign designers,
which we plan to present at exhibitions abroad in the near future.
We are actively developing products that combine the ideas, designs, and technologies
from other companies with the pottery techniques nurtured by Joubugama Pottery.
Feel free to contact us if you are interested.

Contact Joubugama Pottery

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    Joubugama Pottery Co., Ltd.

    Takehiro Kato, President
    50-22 Kawataoide-cho, Yamashina-ku, Kyoto,
    607-8326
    TEL: 075-592-5479
    Business hours: from 10 am to 5 pm
    Closed: Sundays, holidays, Obon holidays,
    year-end and New Year holidays