Before I Knew It, I Was Following Along…

Hanada: Could you tell us how you came to pursue a career in making tableware?

Naoko Hidaka : I worked as a knitwear designer in the apparel industry for twelve years. The beginning of my journey into ceramics was when I accompanied my husband, who had decided to become a ceramic artist, and enrolled in a ceramics vocational school in Seto with him.
After graduating, I worked at a pottery workshop painting decorative designs, and before long I found myself making my own pieces on weekends as well. I would add small illustrations to the side dishes my husband made, for example.
One day, at a pottery fair, I casually placed a small bird plate of mine next to his work.

Naoko Hidaka : Then a man passing by was delighted by the bird illustration. I was surprised by how happy it made me to see someone enjoy a drawing I had made. In the end, I may have been even happier than he was (laughs).

Hanada: You must have always enjoyed making things.

Naoko Hidaka : I think it also had something to do with growing up around antiques. My mother loved antiques, and my uncle worked as an antique dealer. My uncle would take me to antique markets and explain things like, “See how the indigo color changes completely from this period onward? This is when synthetic gosu cobalt pigment started to appear.” I loved listening to those stories. Influenced by that, I was the kind of twenty-year-old who got excited about buying serving bowls for 1,000 or 2,000 yen (laughs).

Shonzui vs. Middle-Aged Men

Hanada: Was your current style what you were making from the beginning?

Naoko Hidaka : At first, I mainly copied classical wares that I loved, such as Ko-Sometsuke and Shonzui. But when I reproduced them exactly, I found that I couldn’t express what I personally felt about those works or what I loved most about them.
Copying them was certainly valuable as technical training, but unless something comes from within yourself, it never truly becomes your own work.

Hanada: Looking at your work today, it isn’t direct reproduction, but I can still sense the spirit of Ko-Sometsuke.
Even in something like the expressions on the animals’ faces, there’s a certain complexity that defies easy interpretation.

Naoko Hidaka : That’s definitely something I want to convey.

Hanada: At times I also sense elements of Annam ware, and sometimes the atmosphere of Ko-Imari. The qualities you love in historic ceramics seem to emerge in transformed ways through your work.

Naoko Hidaka : That may be true. And while I was painting all sorts of things, people started reacting to my drunken middle-aged-man motifs by saying, “They’re cute,” “They’re fun,” or “What is this?!”

Hanada: That was the moment when people shared your own enjoyment of those drunken men.

Naoko Hidaka : I suppose that’s what suits me better.

Hanada: By “that,” do you mean the middle-aged men? Middle-aged men over Shonzui… (laughs).

Naoko Hidaka : Yes (laughs).

It’s Not That I Only Draw Middle-Aged Men…

Hanada: How did you arrive at the middle-aged-man motif?

Naoko Hidaka : My father was the eldest of six siblings, and every New Year’s holiday the entire extended family would gather together. Everyone drank, got thoroughly tipsy, sang whatever they wanted, fell asleep, woke up whenever they pleased… As a child, I watched it all and thought, “That looks like so much fun.”

Hanada: So you have a fondness for middle-aged men.

Naoko Hidaka : My uncles on my father’s side adored me—perhaps because I was their first niece. They really doted on me… Maybe that’s why I have such a positive image of them.

Hanada: Not old men, not young men… middle-aged men.

Naoko Hidaka : They’re self-centered, straightforward about enjoying themselves, and it’s hard to tell whether they’re relaxed or not. They say whatever they want without much hesitation… That’s my own personal image of middle-aged men.

Hanada: You seem to feel an affection for those qualities.

Naoko Hidaka : Well, it’s not as if I only draw middle-aged men (laughs).

Hanada: Yet somehow it feels right.

Naoko Hidaka : I wonder why. Even I don’t really know (laughs).

Presence and Space

Hanada: Can you put into words the kind of tableware you want to make?

Naoko Hidaka : I hope to make pieces that allow people to form an emotional connection with them while also enhancing the food they hold.

Hanada: An emotional connection…

Naoko Hidaka : For example, suppose I’m depicting an animal. Rather than simply drawing the animal itself well, I always hope to capture the feeling that the animal is there—the sense of its presence. That’s where the bird dishes come from as well. It doesn’t matter what kind of bird people think it is. Though if anything, it’s more likely a small bird than a large one (laughs).
It’s the atmosphere of, “This is what it feels like when a bird is there.” The same goes for dogs or horses. Or the atmosphere of a middle-aged man sleeping contentedly… (laughs).
Even with sake bottles, it’s not the bottle itself that I want to depict. I hope something emerges softly as a whole—something you can almost sense or smell. The sake bottle is simply a means of conveying that feeling.

Hanada: That’s a major part of what makes people fall in love with pottery, isn’t it? It’s something we naturally empathize with.
Perhaps it’s the feeling that the maker and the user are breathing the same air through the piece.

Naoko Hidaka : I think that’s often how I come to love things as well. That said, if I focus too much on that aspect alone, I feel I might end up going in a strange direction (laughs), so I try not to forget that these are ultimately pieces for serving food. That’s why I always try to leave room for the food itself.

On Glazes and Color Tones

Hanada: The character of your glazes and the tones of your gosu cobalt pigment fit beautifully with what you’re trying to achieve.

Naoko Hidaka : I rely on my husband when it comes to the materials (laughs). For the glazes, I aim for a soft quality that blends naturally into the dining table without standing out too much. As for the gosu cobalt pigment, I use old works that I admire as references, adjusting the formulas and conducting repeated tests.
It can’t be too sharp, but it can’t be too soft either, so my husband tested countless variations for me.

The Images I Want to Draw and the Forms I Want to Create

Hanada: There are very few perfectly ordinary circular forms in your work. At the very least, there’s always something added (laughs). A clipped corner, a relief decoration, and so on.

Naoko Hidaka : I have images I want to draw and forms I want to create, and it’s enjoyable exploring combinations between the two.

Hanada: This cross-shaped plate certainly catches the eye.

Naoko Hidaka : I wanted a small plate that would be perfect for holding a rolled hand towel.

Hanada: Sushi restaurants would love that. And this square dish is quite something as well…

Naoko Hidaka : I thought this window-frame square dish would also be just the right size for serving rice balls as an after-school snack when children come home in the evening.

Middle-Aged Men in 3D

Hanada: Is there anything you’d like to make in the future?

Naoko Hidaka : Perhaps something that moves, with wheels attached… I’d like to create things that are neither simply containers nor purely decorative objects, but something fun in between.
Something that brings a little enjoyment to the people who use it.

Hanada: A playful spirit, perhaps.

Naoko Hidaka : When I made a figurine of one of my middle-aged men, a woman who already owned one of my dishes featuring the same character said, “Oh! It’s a 3D middle-aged man!” and seemed genuinely delighted.

The Starting Point

Hanada: You seem happiest when describing moments of people enjoying themselves right in front of you.

Naoko Hidaka : In fact, I graduated from ceramics school just after the Great East Japan Earthquake occurred. I became hesitant about purchasing an electric kiln, and when I shared my concerns with one of my teachers, he told me, “Human beings cannot live without consuming energy. Rather than worrying about that, devote yourself to making the best work you can.”
That may have helped me move forward. From then on, I was able to focus wholeheartedly on bringing joy and enjoyment to others.

Hanada: So that was your starting point.

Looking Ahead to the Exhibition

Hanada: Well then, we’re looking forward to the exhibition.

Naoko Hidaka : Since it will be held in November, I’d like to create work with a feeling of “the harvest season” and “abundance,” while also incorporating a celebratory mood so that the pieces can be enjoyed during the New Year holidays as well.

Hanada: We’re looking forward to it. Thank you very much.

Naoko Hidaka : Thank you.

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