Mai Tagawa, a ceramic artist, creates her works in Kanagawa Prefecture.

From a young age, she loved drawing, and art was her favorite subject. Seeing the Shigaraki ware mug and saucer her parents cherished, she was captivated by the beautiful reddish-orange gradation that appeared in the pottery. She began to think, "Someday, I want to create works like these myself." With that dream in mind, she studied ceramics at Tama Art University.

After graduating, she became independent and initially focused on creating works that utilized the reddish-orange expressions born from the reactions of glazes and clay. In recent years, she has actively engaged in carbonization firing, exploring the potential of rich colors that the clay itself reveals.

"I wanted to see the breadth of color gradations in the clay, so I started creating works using carbonization firing. Since the finished colors are completely unpredictable, I'm always excited when I open the kiln," she says.

Her works reveal her attitude of pursuing the accidental beauty created by nature.

Her revered artists are Lucie Rie, known for her delicate and refined forms, and Shunsai Takahashi, the creator of the Shigaraki ware mug her parents cherished. Her admiration for Lucie Rie's elegant forms and Shunsai Takahashi's powerful yet warm style is evident in Tagawa's delicate forms and the beautiful reddish-orange gradations created by nature in her works.

Her bowls and vases, harmonizing delicate forms with unique colors born in the kiln, deepen their expression with use, adding a quiet touch of color to daily life.

"I hope you will enjoy my works for a long time."

With this sentiment from Mai Tagawa, please enjoy each individual piece.