Shuroku Harada

Shuroku Harada hardly needs introduction. A true grand master of modern Bizen-ware, his works exhibit an instantly recognizable style all their own. His ranbari (or “smeared”) pieces feature a rustic, crackled finish, resulting from a thin layer of clay applied to certain sections before firing. Other pieces featuring Harada’s unique nawame (“corded”) finish appear as though bound in rope. Harada has also made traditional Bizen-ware techniques his own: His take on the shinogi technique of shaving and cutting clay from a partly finished piece produces particularly dynamic results, and he has mastered the art of including stones in his pieces – a technique known as taikōishi that, in less skilled hands, can result in cracks and warping that destroy a piece.

At the outset, though, Harada had no intention at all of entering ceramics. He attended Meiji University’s school of agriculture with plans to enter that field. After graduating in 1964, he spent three years working for a food manufacturer in Tokyo. But Harada ultimately found that the Tokyo lifestyle did not suit him, and decided to return to his hometown of Bizen, Okayama.

It was at that point that Harada began working in ceramics, figuring that there was little else to do in a place with a such a rich ceramics tradition. But between helping out at home and earning a living, he had no time to take on an apprenticeship in the art. Despite this, Harada says he has never encountered a true technical conundrum in his time as an artist.

“There were many people in Imbe” – a part of the city of Bizen known as the historic birthplace of Bizen-ware – “making pottery. When you walked through the streets, there were potters everywhere. If I dropped by a friend’s house, they would inevitably be making pottery. Even without learning from a master of the art, I knew what to do, for the most part,” Harada says. It was this acuity that sparked Harada’s reputation as a true prodigy: A lack of formal training did not hinder Harada, but rather allowed him to freely produce and explore audacious, innovative ideas that would reshape the form.

In his 30s, while exploring the remnants of old kilns, Harada ran across fragments of pieces in the Ko-Bizen style that gave birth to modern Bizen-ware, and began researching that ancient tradition.

Decades later, after turning 60, Harada set about perfecting his own, unique style. “I’ve had ideas in my head since my 40s, but I had a tough time getting started,” Harada says. “I went through a lot of trial and error, and with that came a lot of failure.”

Though he had no master to guide him directly, Harada seems to have made the traditions and history of Ko-Bizen – and the town of Bizen itself – his teacher.

The vast majority of Harada’s pieces are made entirely by hand – either pinched and pressed out from a single piece of clay, or built from coils of clay before being smoothed into a cohesive whole. “That way, it’s easier to express myself when I’m making them,” he says.