Anagama: Story So Far

In a village called Katsura-mura in Ibaraki Prefecture, north-east of Tokyo, I was born on 24th December 1946 (the Year of the Dog).
The village is not far from Mashiko, a late Edo period domestic pottery village which has been made famous by the potter Shoji Hamada and his British contemporary Bernard Leach.

    From a very early age I used to watch old craftsmen working with their time-honoured skills. It came naturally and I was pretty good at drawing pictures and making things before I reached school age.

    My teenage was uncertain and a bit of a rebel towards people around. I was frustrated with everything like any other boys. Not violent but I felt being trapped in the old society.

    My interest in ancient and traditional culture led me to study Japanese literature at Meiji University, Tokyo, whilst my extra-curricular interests stretched from the modern artists Jackson Pollock and Jasper Jones to rock music, Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin.

On finishing my formal education, I took a job (with no experience became a chief fashion designer!) in Shibuya, Tokyo and designed many innovative clothes for young women, and lived among friends who, like me, wanted to challenge the old ways in art, fashion, music, film and theatre. Later, I joined a hippy community on the outskirts of Tokyo and made a living as a freelance graphic designer.

In spite of my alternative lifestyle, I wanted to learn more about the cultural history of my country and travelled widely in Japan, visiting traditional potters, craftsmen and museum curators. I began to collect Mediæval Japanese pottery, I am now an expert in this field.

    Because I like the climate and the people, I have been settled in England for twenty years. I started working alone as an art dealer in London. In 1988, when I had my exhibition of Japanese pottery, I met the potter and pottery magazine editor Murray Fieldhouse. I found that we had very similar taste on pottery and he introduced me to many English potters.

    Eventually I decided to make serious pots and moved to Hertfordshire. Murray understood my passion and kindly let me build my first 'anagama' in his garden. I have been rather lucky to have been acquainted with potters like John Leach, Phil Rogers, Clive Bowen and my best friend Svend Bayer from the beginning of my life as a potter.

    While visiting Japan in 1992, I met Michio Furutani in Shigaraki. His natural way of working with simple 'anagama' and his beautiful vessels changed my life completely.

    I had my exhibitions in Tokyo, London and Tring (my hometown in Herts.)

    My kiln work is now supported by the Christian Charity 'Faith Works' Trust. Art loving and kind-hearted Robert and Marie Laken allow me to work freely in their farm and I love working in the wood on the Chiltern Hills.

    My inspiration comes from living nature, Gorin (the Buddhist tantric elements of earth, water, fire, wind and sky) and Zen ideology.

    My pots are fired in my hand-built 'anagama', wood-fired in the tradition of ancient potters, and as an echo of my days as a graphic designer in Tokyo, I also use my visual skills designing websites.

Gas Kimishima