Hideharu Igaki

Hideharu Igaki

Ferally Normal Clayworks

Beauty is Born Through Something That is Well Loved

I believe there are two types of art: one is stationary art and the other is moving art. To me, pottery is a moving art, and more importantly a kind of human-involved art. When I make my pots, I form, press, squeeze, and pull the clay with my hands, my body. This is movement. I want the people who buy my pots to enjoy holding them and using them--more movement. This is how I know people enjoy my artwork. When I see people using my pots, that enjoyment is in itself a form of art to me. Pottery has been used and valued by people all over the world for thousands of years. I enjoy making pots. Each clay has its own character, and I try to maintain this character while I'm forming, glazing and firing my pots. I hope that everyone who owns a piece of my artwork continues to enjoy it. Beauty is born through something that is well loved. When things are used over and over, they build their own character, and bare their own beauty. I take great pride in knowing that people enjoy my creations.

     Mr. Igaki is a karate instructor and the Head Coach of the USA National Karate Team. He has also been a professional potter for several years. He discovered clay when he joined his wife in a pottery class, and realized that throwing on the potter's wheel requires the same discipline and technique as karate. Mr. Igaki was born & raised in Nishinomiya, Japan. He now resides in Loveland, Colorado with his wife and daughter.

The Hikidashi Technique: Hikidashi in Japanese means "to remove," or " to pull out." Sometimes called American Raku, this process involves pulling pots out of the kiln while still red-hot and placing them into an airtight reduction container. This changes the glazes, producing metallic glows, pearlescent lusters and crackle patterns (all caused by the presence or absence of oxygen in the glaze and clay body.)