Kazuyasu Tayama 

Kazuyasu Tayama is an indispensable asset to the field of ironware, carrying with him all the techniques of his erstwhile master, Morihisa Suzuki the 13th, a living national treasure. He chairs an industry association for artists of Nambu tekki, or Nambu ironware, a style of iron teaware, cookware and decorative items hailing from Iwate Prefecture in northeast Japan.

Tayama was born in 1950 on Mt. Hachiman in Iwate as the third of six brothers. He displayed a love for the arts – both handicrafts and drawing – from a young age. But he did not hail from a wealthy family, and was encouraged by his parents to attend an industrial high school.

A degree of colorblindness, however, kept him from pursuing that path. Instead, Tayama sought an introduction to the great Nambu tekki artist Morihisa Suzuki, the 13th in a line of artisans to take that mantle, through an acquaintance who said the master was looking for an apprentice.

"Honestly, I was fine with whatever came my way, as long as it involved making something," Tayama said. "If I'd happened on a job in carpentry, I would probably be a carpenter right now," he added with a laugh.

Tayama took the apprenticeship in 1966, and stayed on for around a decade, until he was married at the age of 28. In older times, this would have been the natural course for such an apprenticeship to take. But Tayama was last Nambu tekki artisan to undergo such training. His official duties began early in the day, and ended with him laying out Suzuki's bedding at night. After that, he was free to head back into the workshop and polish his craft.

Though Tayama had little time of his own during those years, he recalls finding pleasure in his packed schedule. "Because I was living with my master, I could use the workshop as I pleased, and hone my skills late into the night," he said.

Suzuki himself was a giant in the field of ironware, responsible for turning iron tea kettles from lowly, everyday objects into a form of high art. He was recognized as a living national treasure in 1974, thanks to his superior skill and long record of success in the field.

Suzuki "broke new ground on design, as well," Tayama said. "He led the pack at every stage of the production process, from adding texture to a piece's surface to carving designs into a mold."

"I would follow my master wherever he went as his assistant. He taught me that, when you’re walking along outside, you can never lose focus -- artistic inspiration is everywhere. He would notice everything around him in detail, from natural forms to designs on shops' signboards. He would also tell me that, even when you’re between 50 and 60, you're still green, and that you only produce truly quality work past the age of 70. I've finally begun to understand what he meant of late."

In Tayama's telling, the first impression a work makes is critical. He aims to create kettles that will be first in a lineup to catch an onlooker's eye. "There needs to be a tension to every part of a work. Easy-to-use pieces with an overall sense of balance are ideal. My kettles aim to impress with bold shapes, rather than fine, detailed patterns," he said.

Tayama opened a workshop of his own in 2012. The world is waiting to see what he will come out with next.