From Unzen to London: Unzenyaki Studio

21 July, 2017

Today we introduce you to Unzenyaki Studio, an artisan and new Whitebeam vendor from Unzen, Japan. We fell in love with studio’s pieces and are proud to be the first stockist to carry their items outside of Nagasaki, Japan.

Hiroki Ishikawa stems from a long line of ceramicists and is presently the eighth generation of his family to practice this craft. In fact, both of his parents have their own line of goods as well. 

The founder and owner of Whitebeam Shop traveled to Nagasaki prefecture to visit the studio. This was no small feat, mind you, for the locale is so remote, she drove out to a port, took a ferry to Kyushu Island, and drove further inland to arrive at Unzen.  

This far flung location serves as the perfect backdrop for the studio and much of its inspiration is drawn from the surrounding nature and climate. This is evident in the elegant and clean simplicity of Unzenyaki creations.

To start, Hiroki uses local clay from inside Nagasaki prefecture, and much of it, from right around his studio. The clay composition differs in each area; therefore, he uses soil from the location with the most suitable offering for each object. Each pottery piece is handmade on a Rokuro wheel and biscuit fired before the glaze is applied. A glost firing in a kiln finalises and sets the item for use.

Our owner tried her hand at the process and created the above matcha bowl. Unzenyaki studio will model an exclusive and limited quantity of these bowls for our shop. 

It was truly a pleasure to visit the studio and we are besotted with their craftsmanship. We’re excited to offer the Unzenyaki line—these goods embody the ethos and slow-living principles we embrace at the Whitebeam Shop.