Maki Higuchi

Since childhood, Higuchi-san loved to draw. She would find white paper and devote herself to drawing pictures. 
She attended children's drawing classes and was a member of the art club in high school, living with art for many years.

She embarked on a career in pottery after majoring in ceramics at art college.

She says, "There are many fields in crafts, but in pottery, I can shape things with my own hands without using hammers or saws. Also, I find it thrilling and appealing that the 'completion' happens when the piece is fired in a kiln, a process entrusted to something beyond my control." Her words convey a strong passion for creation.

Her style, which combines cuteness with a subtle depth that grows with each viewing, is a result of her 12 years of apprenticeship under Tsutomu Motohashi (a disciple of Koichi Tamura, Living National Treasure).
She thoroughly learned and absorbed Japanese traditional crafts and art from a broad perspective, elevating them into her own works.

Furthermore, she values the essence of her work as "tableware" and "crafts," consciously engaging in every step of the ceramic creation process, from clay preparation to firing.

Higuchi-san's works, created by blending Shigaraki ceramic clay and porcelain clay, possess both the warmth of earthenware and the smoothness unique to porcelain, offering a comforting feel and pleasant usability when held.

"I would be delighted if my pottery could become everyday tableware, appearing on my customers' tables every day."