A Strong Sense of “Creating Now”

Hanada:　Why did you choose the coil-building technique, Mr. Yoshida?

Manabu Yoshida:　I wanted to use coarse clay, and coil-building was the most suitable method for that.

Hanada:　What is the appeal of coil-building for you?

Manabu Yoshida:　It gives me a vivid sense that “I’m creating now,” that “I’m touching the clay.”
Even now, the most enjoyable moment is when I can feel the grains of stone with my hands.

Hanada:　Is there a particular piece you especially enjoy making?

Manabu Yoshida:　I like making rice bowls.

Natural Distortion

Hanada:　The pieces created by coil-building have a unique atmosphere.

Manabu Yoshida:　I like how natural distortions emerge in the process.

Hanada:　Natural distortion…

Manabu Yoshida:　It’s not something you can intentionally control. It depends on the hardness and softness of the coils.
Normally, when using the wheel, the clay is tightened repeatedly to make it uniform, which results in a clean finish. But since I don’t do that, the thickness of the base varies slightly from part to part.
That variation becomes the natural distortion.
When I first make it, the shape is neat, but it changes during firing.

Hanada:　What do you mean by the “hardness and softness” of the coils?

Manabu Yoshida:　Because I form them roughly by hand, some parts of the coil are harder and others are softer.

A Painful Process

Hanada:　Coil-building also seems to be a time-consuming process.

Manabu Yoshida:　Yes, for example, making a rice bowl probably takes about five times longer than the usual method.

Hanada:　It must have been tough until you got used to it.

Manabu Yoshida:　It was, but I never disliked it, not even once.

Hanada:　Does the raw clay contain various materials?

Manabu Yoshida:　Yes, there are sharp stones, and sometimes even pieces of wood.
When I’m throwing on the wheel and one of those sticks in my hand…

Hanada:　That sounds painful.

Manabu Yoshida:　It is! (laughs)
But I want to keep working with clay that’s as close as possible to its natural state, so it can’t be helped.

Not Touching Too Much, Not Thinking Too Much

Hanada:　Watching you work, you seem very efficient. Your movements are simplified and flow smoothly.

Manabu Yoshida:　I suppose so. I have a background in science, so I like calculating and organizing processes systematically. That may be why it looks that way.

Hanada:　What do you keep in mind when shaping the clay?

Manabu Yoshida:　Not touching the clay too much.

Hanada:　What do you mean by “not touching too much”?

Manabu Yoshida:　In the past, I used to handle it quite a lot.
But I realized that the less I touch it, the more natural and unforced it feels.
If you spend too much time, you start trying to make it look perfect, and that takes away its charm.
So, especially when trimming on the wheel, I try to finish as quickly as possible.

Hanada:　I see.

Manabu Yoshida:　Otherwise, the piece ends up looking sluggish.
And if I think too much while working, the result becomes stiff, so I try to separate my head from my hands.
When I’m making the coils or forming the shape, I try to be completely in the moment.

Ma (Space)

Hanada:　Has your image of what you want to create changed since you first started?

Manabu Yoshida:　Not really. I still imagine food when I make my pieces.
I’ve loved fishing since I was young, and I started pottery because I wanted to serve the fish I caught on my own plates.
So I quickly picture what dish would go with which plate, and I always value the sense of “ma,” or space.

Hanada:　What do you mean by “ma”?

Manabu Yoshida:　It’s about a sense of balance or proportion—how the food sits within the vessel, how it fills the space.

The Pleasure of Feeling with the Hands

Hanada:　When you use your own pieces, what do you notice?

Manabu Yoshida:　The tactile pleasure—how it feels in the hand.

Hanada:　You enjoy sake, don’t you?

Manabu Yoshida:　Especially with sake cups (laughs). They just fit so comfortably in the hand.

Looking Ahead

Hanada:　Is there something you’d like to try in the future?

Manabu Yoshida:　I’d like to work with even rougher clay—something like “the ultimate in unworkable clay” (laughs).
Clay full of stones, extremely difficult to shape, the kind nobody else would want to use.
In the end, I just love clay itself.
The vessel may take shape through my will, but honestly, I sometimes feel that you could just fire the clay as it is and serve food on it (laughs).

Hanada:　So you’ll continue using the coil-building technique?

Manabu Yoshida:　Of course. Always.

-Below the Japanese interview, a video introduces Manabu Yoshida’s coil-building work. Please take a look.-