| Customer: Female from Singapore Program: 33-day pottery making in Tajimi Duration: 2014/04/15-2014/05/17 |
| Message from our customer: I’m just like any other ordinary office worker in an office working from 9 to 5, the boring lifestyle and my only opportunity to spend time and meddle with clay is only on a Sunday class workshop. I began pottery making as a leisurely pursuit in the late 90s’. This art holds a certain fascination for me and hence, I continue to pursuit it further. Besides the love for ceramic art, I also have a very great interest for Japanese culture and cuisine. Therefore, I decided to join this program as I think I will have more time to be with clay works and experience the life in Japan for the first time staying abroad for such a long period. HO-CA is such a cozy, comfortable and nice ambience studio located in Takiro, a quiet and peaceful town in Tajimi. I am staying the room above the studio and it was also very cozy and comfortable for one to be really relaxed and easy. All facilities are well-equipped plus a little kitchen, that’s perfect for cooking challenge using Japanese ingredients & sauces. Aside, there’s an electric bike provided that makes sight-seeing, supermarkets, onsen bath, etc., not a problem at all. Shibata sensei and his students were very kind and helpful for me. Sensei is very unique & cool artist. He is very patient, kind as well as accommodating & accepting. Although he doesn’t speak much English, everything still went & worked out well for us. As my wheel-throwing technique was not very good, Shibata sensei taught me and I’m just trying hard to practice it. Besides, he also asks me to make 3 Chawans for Raku firing that was rather a surprise for me! Special & great THANKS to Naoko & Yumiko san, that’s been a valuable translator whenever they are around for me, helping me and even brought me out. Both of them are just too kind and generous to me, as well as Shibata sensei. I made many pieces of work from teapots to tukkuri, ochokos and chawans. Highlights for me in this long stay here (33-days) was the Coiling workshop that Shibata sensei wants me to give and show the students here. Although I’m more skillful in coiling techniques, but it could be so nervous for me because I’ve never done any presentation or workshop like this before. It’s a challenge for me in many ways and I’m much relief as it went well and smooth… Met many people, potters and visited some exhibitions and galleries to enjoy each piece of artwork from individual that’s eye-wide open for me. Each piece of artwork has its own story & personality from the creation, this is ART! The Oribe glazes are just so beautiful, I love it! HO-CA is a good grounding for pottery and I highly recommend this program for anyone no matter you are beginners or professionals, as long as you are passionate about ceramics art, this is the place! Time flies and the stay here is over. There is so much to learn from Sensei’s teaching, the peaceful & happy atmosphere with the students & people I met and more that I’ll never forget this wonderful pottery journey I had in HO-CA, Tajimi. I’ll be back for sure, some day, some time, very soooooooooooooooooon….. I’ll MISS you all and Arigatou-gozaimashita! |
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