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Tag: kazu oba

Small Drinking Vessels and Refills: Please Let Me Pour More

By:
Ai Kanazawa
March 29, 2021Ceramics Kazu Oba Food and Craft

Ceramics by Kazu Oba in our shop ->

I get so excited to hear from people that they have been vaccinated for Covid-19. It feels truly good to be on the offensive against this virus! And as I patiently await my turn for the jab(s), which should come soon, I’m starting to look forward to sitting around the table with my friends again.

And when I sit down to have tea, coffee, even water and adult beverages, I like to use small cups and mugs. Sure, it’s always good to have less things to wash afterwards, but I like to give my guests small drinking vessels so that I can bring a pitcher or spouted bowls with refills.

Little cups allow the host to offer a fresh batch of hot coffee to the guests

Why bother, you may ask. It is because little cups allow me to offer a fresh batch of hot or cold drinks to my guests. In addition, there is something very pleasant and soothing about watching and hearing liquid being poured into vessels don’t you think? I consider it as part of the entertainment to the guests. I’m sure the Victorians could have made tea in huge mugs as well, but they too must have felt that the act of pouring adds another layer to the tea experience.

It is pleasant and soothing to watch and hear liquid (in this case matcha) being poured into vessels.

If you ever wondered why there are so many small cups in my shop, now you know the reason. And today I’ve added even more small cups and pouring vessels by Kazu Oba to my shop. As always, Kazu’s spouts are perfectly executed so that there won’t be any drips left on your table. I hope that you’ll find the perfect vessel to add a little more pouring for your next gathering in the coming post-Covid world.

New work by Kazu Oba, and the Story of Myoga, the Japanese Ginger

By:
Ai Kanazawa
October 12, 2017Ceramics Kazu Oba Food and Craft

Ceramics by Kazu Oba in our shop ->

Looking back, I realize there were so many things that I disliked eating when I was a child. One of my arch enemies was myoga, the flower buds of Japanese ginger that appeared regularly at the dinner table in the summer and did not go away until October.

Myoga, Japanese ginger

Just like green onions, myoga was served as a garnish in miso soup, cold tofu, and other delicious things that, to a child’s tongue, tasted far better without this cursed topping. These terrible condiments are called yakumi, which means medicinal garnish, and my dream was to move to a world where they served food without them.

The other problem with myoga was that it was also the motif of my family’s crest. When I discovered this fact, I was so disappointed that I wasn’t born into a family with beautiful flower crests like Wisteria or Paulownia. I mean, why a lowly vegetable?

Family crest on my kimono, daki-myoga. The Japanese ginger motif.

Years have passed and now a cold tofu without yakumi would be a let-down at the dinner table. And I even rather like the fact that a hardy shade-loving Zingiber is the motif of my family’s crest.

Cold tofu served with myoga and green onions in a bowl by Kazu Oba

Kazu Oba’s Life on the Artistic Rim

By:
Ai Kanazawa
February 24, 2017Ceramics Kazu Oba

Ceramics by Kazu Oba in our shop ->

Maybe it is because he lives life on the edge, but Kazu Oba has a thing about rims. This potter-cum-sculptor-cum-dancer-cum-cook-cum-guerilla pot thrower confesses that the most difficult aspect of creating pots is the making of their rims. Indeed, the exquisite and alluring rims are the hallmarks of this potter’s vessels.

Spouted bowl
A spouted bowl by Kazu Oba has an exquisite rim and mouth.

Kazu’s life on the razor’s edge began when he was just 17 years old when the lifelong Kobe resident was inspired to travel on his own and live in the U.S. after watching the American movie “Grease”.

An aspiring artist, Kazu studied at the University of Colorado at Boulder and had the opportunity to apprentice under Jerry Wingren, a sculptor in wood and stone who is based in Boulder.

Another key influence for Kazu has been his nearly 15 years working as a restaurant cook to support his livelihood as a student and apprentice. Kazu started paying attention to the vessels on which the food was served while working, and that was why he decided to became a potter.

Kazu Oba
Ceramic artist Kazu Oba working at his studio in Colorado (Photo courtesy of Kazu Oba)

After completing his apprenticeship with Jerry, Kazu traveled back to Japan to study under Nakazato Takashi, the master potter from Karatsu, Japan, whom he had met at the Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Colorado. Kazu returned to Colorado in 2004 and eventually started his own studio creating ceramics and sculptures.

To ensure that he retains his creative edginess, Kazu occasionally takes his craft to the street as a ‘guerrilla pot thrower’ and makes pots on a portable kick wheel. The primary purpose of Kazu’s street pot theater is to advertise for his solo shows, which has taken place in numerous cities. “I want to show people how I make pots and, also get out of my comfort zone to test myself,” Kazu says.

guerrilla
Kazu Oba ‘guerrilla pot throwing’ on Kyoto’s popular Hanamikoji street. (Photo courtesy of Kazu Oba)

While Kazu is a bold adventurer, his artistic creations appear quiet and modest at first glance. But as soon as they are used, you will quickly recognize that they are carefully crafted to enhance the food that is placed in them.  His pots are modern and clean, with beguiling rims. “I think all the world of lips”, Kazu explains.

Sushi
Kazu uses a variety of clay and glazes so that the table has a mixture of colors and textures.

As a cook, Kazu makes wares that he wants to use on his dining table, and so he ponders most about his work when he eats. For example, he uses a variety of clay and glazes so that the table has a mixture of colors and textures instead of looking all dark or light. Whether it is the sharp attention to the textures of colors that becomes background to food, or perfectly executed rims that frame it, this unique perspective of an experienced cook makes Kazu’s work truly exceptional.

Kobachi
Small salads served on funagata side dishes by Kazu Oba

When I look at Kazu’s work, I cannot stop thinking about the things I will eat out of them. It maybe vivid green blanched vegetables on dark clay, or some bright coulis for that meat on porcelain. I am sure that the cook inside you will be intrigued too.

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