Floral Motif Rim Plate(21cm)

Hanada: I’d like to ask you about your new works.
First, the Floral Motif Rim Plate in the 21cm size.

Maya Inamura: I looked at some antique pieces you lent me and thought they would be nice if made larger, so I chose 21cm size.
I’ve always found it interesting how some plates made for export to the Netherlands long ago had patterns that crossed over the rim, so this time I painted the flowers in that way.

Hanada: We showed you some old sometsuke pieces.

Maya Inamura: The designs were very clear and quite bold, but I wanted to reinterpret the interesting compositions in my own way. When I tried painting more lightly, it ended up with a look that could also work well in a Western-style setting.

Hanada: Rearranging the original motif into a three-point composition is very much like you. I feel that if each element were made too small, it would lose its appeal.

Maya Inamura: I agree. I felt it was better not to leave too much empty space. Also, I was really struck by this sense of movement and curvature. In Japanese designs, branches often grow upward from the base, but here the branches appear partway along. I thought, “Starting from the side—that’s interesting!”

Hanada: I see.

Maya Inamura: It’s a very unique way of framing the design, quite different from old Imari, for example.

Hanada: The brushwork feels different from your usual style. Did you consciously change your approach in the outlining and shading?

Maya Inamura: I usually value speed and momentum, but for this piece I wanted to draw more carefully and neatly.

Hanada: It comes through clearly. So, how would you use this plate?

Maya Inamura: For a morning omelet. Pasta would work well too.

Something I’ve Always Loved

Hanada: Next is the namasu bowl. It’s a traditional form, but this is your first time making it. What made you decide to create it now?

Maya Inamura: I’ve always loved the shape of namasu bowls. I had been using namasu bowls made by my teacher, Mitsuo Fujitsuka, for a long time, but I felt that I wasn’t quite ready to make them myself. This time, I thought I might finally be able to.

Hanada: Was there anything you paid particular attention to when making them?

Maya Inamura: To bring out the soft, gentle feel of the scalloped rim, I kept the mold carving to a minimum. Also, if I used my usual glaze, it would feel a bit heavy, so I changed the glaze formula. The crackle also helps prevent the design from looking flat. It’s a very intuitive process, though.

Hanada: What is the appeal of the namasu bowl for you?

Maya Inamura: A sense of reassurance. It’s a form that has existed for a long time and that everyone knows, so it feels easy to use without much thought.

Hanada: You just know it will be easy to use, without overthinking it (laughs).

Maya Inamura: Like a reliable brand. When you think of a namasu bowl, this is the shape that comes to mind.

Iron Painting and Sometsuke

Hanada: Now, this diamond-shaped small plate.

Maya Inamura: This is my first time combining iron painting with sometsuke.

Hanada: When paired with iron painting, the gosu blue looks brighter.

Maya Inamura: Iron painting is fascinating—when it’s present, the white areas can even look slightly creamy. Even with the same glaze, it appears different.

Hanada: And adding iron painting to sometsuke gives it a more colorful impression.

Maya Inamura: I’ve recently rediscovered how interesting iron painting can be, so I’d like to explore more variations.

Hanada: The brush movement also changes with iron painting.

Maya Inamura: It’s a bit harder to paint, but unless you draw boldly, the color doesn’t come through. So I paint thicker and darker. Gosu shows exactly as you paint it, but iron comes out more softly.

Hanada: What would you use this for?

Maya Inamura: Simmered beans, pickles, or even as a soy sauce dish.

Hanada: This kind of shape is actually very suitable for soy sauce.

Maya Inamura: I think something slightly elongated works better than a perfect circle. For sashimi, for example.

Different Kinds of Elegance

Hanada: Next, the flared cup. You took inspiration from French antiques.

Maya Inamura: This was actually hand-carved, not made with a mold.

Hanada: Those originals are slip-cast, right?

Maya Inamura: I think so.

Maya Inamura: I really like the softness of this piece. It feels like a different kind of elegance from Japanese tableware. Also, decorating the rim isn’t very common in Japanese pieces, which makes it interesting.

Hanada: You removed the original handle and turned it into a small bowl. It’s only in white porcelain, right? It seems like other colors could work too… maybe lapis blue?

Maya Inamura: This one just feels right in white.

Hanada: True—lapis blue might make it feel too Japanese.

Maya Inamura: And I didn’t feel it would suit it very well.

Hanada: My apologies (laughs). So how would you use it?

Maya Inamura: For yogurt, or as a café au lait bowl.

Hanada: I see—café au lait in this would look stylish. Well, it was originally a teacup, so it makes sense.

Small Plates and Small Dishes

Hanada: And now, the smaller pieces.

Maya Inamura: Once I tried making them, I found them surprisingly interesting. Taking a larger form and making it smaller does make it quite charming.

Hanada: Small plates usually don’t require as many steps as larger ones, but I thought it would be interesting to put more work into them.

Maya Inamura: It was a fun process. I wasn’t just scaling them down—I wanted to make sure the original character still came through. For example, the rim balance here follows that of the 21cm plate.

Hanada: It looks like it would fit a single macaron perfectly.

Maya Inamura: Or a canelé. Or some chocolates.

Hanada: You keep mentioning sweets.

Maya Inamura: I give my daughter a small treat in the morning, and this might be just right for that.

Hanada: I’m sure she’d love that (laughs).

“So Far” and “From Here On”

Hanada: You always prepare fresh and engaging new works. You can really feel how much you enjoy the process through the pieces.

Maya Inamura: This time was a lot of fun too!

Hanada: Then we look forward to the two-person exhibition with Haruya Abe in June.

Maya Inamura: Yes. There will be both standard pieces and new works, so I hope people can sense both “what has been” and “what’s to come.”

Hanada: Thank you very much.

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