The Past Two Years

Hanada: This is your first exhibition in two years. When we last spoke, you mentioned wanting to pursue what only you can do. Interestingly, you also said you wanted to try DJing.

Taichi Abe : As for DJing, I’ve had a few opportunities to do it locally. There were plans to do something in Tokyo as well, but with the changes in the social situation, it was put on hold.

Hanada: That’s understandable.

Resuming Music Production

Taichi Abe : This continues the topic of hobbies, but given the situation, I’ve been spending more time at home, and I’ve resumed making music, which I used to do. Nowadays, there are platforms like Spotify and Apple Music where you can release your work independently, and you can also handle mixdowns and mastering on your own PC.

Hanada: When you decide to do something, as long as you have the motivation, it’s become much easier to approach it at your own scale and in your own way. That’s one of the things I like about this era.

Taichi Abe : When I was in my twenties, it was a large-scale process—renting an expensive studio and hiring a mastering engineer—but now, much of it can be handled depending on how much you learn.

Hanada: What instruments do you use to compose?

Taichi Abe : Various ones—guitar, keyboard, and so on.

Hanada: Is there anywhere we can listen to your music?

Taichi Abe : If you search for “Taichi Abe” on Spotify and similar platforms, it should come up. I’d be happy if those who appreciate my work could enjoy it as well.

Hanada: I’m sure people will be delighted. Some might even be surprised.

Taichi Abe : For people who are interested in my work, my musical style might not necessarily align. But that, too, is part of who I am. I think it’s perfectly fine for someone working in ceramics to also be making that kind of music. Above all, I genuinely enjoy doing it.

Hanada: I think it will broaden people’s sense of possibility as well.

Taichi Abe : That would make me even happier.

Church and Electronic

Hanada: For you, it’s all completely connected, isn’t it?

Taichi Abe : From the outside, music might look like just a hobby, but for me, I intend to explore it seriously. In terms of “expression,” I think they influence each other in both directions in a positive way.

Hanada: You mean internally?

Taichi Abe : Yes. For example, I’ve stopped overthinking things. Before, I used to think, “People who sense something like a ‘church-like image’ in my work might be surprised if they heard my electronic music.” I was constrained by a version of myself that I had arbitrarily defined, thinking, “Since people see me this way, doing something different might not be true to who I am.”

Hanada: I imagine that way of thinking can feel comfortable and stable in some ways.

Taichi Abe : But in reality, while I like pipe organs, I also listen to things like YMO (laughs). Breaking the image I had of myself meant dismantling that sense of comfort from the ground up, which took some courage, but the sense of release afterward has felt very positive for me.

Hanada: Have you felt that in your actual creative work?

Taichi Abe : Even when making the same kinds of pieces as before, they feel more relaxed and natural. Of course, it makes me happy that people use and enjoy them, but I’ve also come to enjoy the act of creating itself more. As a result, my approach to my work has become more flexible and open.

What Is Truly Necessary

Hanada: Perhaps it’s something you were able to reassess precisely because of the current situation.

Taichi Abe : It’s a “restart,” I’d say.

Hanada: Has the way you use your time changed as well?

Taichi Abe : I go out less now, and I spend much more time with my family. The way I maintain relationships has changed too… and I’ve stopped drinking alcohol.

Hanada: It’s been an opportunity to reset many things.

Taichi Abe : I’ve started thinking about what is truly essential for me going forward, and I try to spend my time accordingly.

A Changing Sensibility

Hanada: In terms of your work in ceramics, how do you envision your future?

Taichi Abe : At the risk of being misunderstood, although I am someone who makes things, I’ve begun to lose the sense that I “make objects to be bought.” While that may literally be the case, it no longer feels like “objects moving from maker to user.”
Rather than me creating something and having it received one-sidedly, it feels more like a shared existence with those who use it—like I am sustained by the act of it being received… It’s difficult to put into words, but that’s the feeling. I want to move away from a one-way approach of “this is my expression—look at it.”

Hanada: We have a similar theme in retail as well. If it ends as merely a place where objects and money are exchanged, then there’s no need for a shop.
Even if we replace it with words like “to convey,” the reality is the same. I want to pursue the richness that exists beyond that— including the time spent choosing and using these pieces.

Taichi Abe : I feel that if a mutual relationship develops that goes beyond simply exchanging money and objects, then good things will naturally circulate.

Please Take Care

Hanada: Ideas like “mutuality” and “circulation” seem likely to expand and deepen your world.

Taichi Abe : I hope that the everyday lives of ordinary people—those who may not be familiar with the world of craft, who cook meals and eat with their families each day—can be enriched.
Also, rather than choosing something based on others’ evaluations or the status of being a rare piece by a popular maker, I want people to first discover what truly brings them joy. Even something that may seem to have no value to others can make you incredibly happy once you take it home. It’s not anything particularly lofty, but when you use something at your table that you feel was genuinely right for you, it’s very enjoyable, isn’t it?
If that improves the atmosphere at home or even reduces arguments (laughs), then that’s what gives meaning to my work. Simply put, I want people to enjoy using them. I want them to use them freely, in whatever way feels right to them. You often see “please take care of yourself” at the end of emails— it’s exactly that. In the same way, I want people to value what they love. And it makes me happy to see that bring them energy.

Toward the Exhibition

Hanada: I’m really looking forward to your upcoming two-person exhibition with Hitoshi Fujisaki. You must be in the middle of preparations.

Taichi Abe : I’ve just finished the bisque firing. Of course, tableware will be the main focus, but I’m also making figurines. This time, I want the overall tone to be brighter, with white making up about 60–70 percent. I’m also planning to include a small amount of beige, which I’ve been working on recently.

Hanada: I’m looking forward to it.

Taichi Abe : As I explored soft intermediate tones, I arrived at this color, which blends into the overall palette while gently harmonizing the whole.

Hanada: I’m looking forward to the exhibition. Thank you in advance.

Taichi Abe : Thank you as well.

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