ichi

Echiko Igami is a ceramic artist working under the name "ichi" with her husband in Gifu Prefecture.

Influenced by her father, who was a woodworker, she grew up experiencing the joy of crafting firsthand from a young age.
A major turning point that led her to pursue ceramics was the presence of her cousin, who was attending an art university. When she touched the clay on the potter's wheel at an open campus, she strongly felt, "This is it," and decided to pursue a career in ceramics.

Her current style of decorative painting was influenced by her mother.
Echiko grew up with a mother who loved decorated pottery, and she naturally became familiar with such pieces from a young age.
When she first began studying ceramics, she says that precisely because she loved decorated pottery, she deliberately did not delve into it.
However, while re-evaluating her own unique style of creation, it dawned on her, "Precisely because I love it, perhaps I can truly engage with it," leading her to her current style.

The floral motifs depicted on her pottery are inspired by nature close at hand, such as flowers blooming by the roadside, tree branches, and berries. She says she fills her mind with images of plants by sketching and observing them, then constructs the patterns.

Regarding her creations, she told us, "I am mindful of sizes and shapes that suit various purposes, making them easy to use in daily life. I would be delighted if the people who use them could smile a little, feel relieved, or be encouraged. I want to create such pottery."

"I hope my pottery will naturally blend into everyday scenes, in a comfortable way for each user."
Such thoughts are encapsulated in her work.