Meet Kazu Oba | Artist: Potter and Sculptor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kazu Oba and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kazu, what makes you happy? Why?
When the ceramic work that I make functions well, I am content. A piece of pottery that works well is superior to a pretty one that doesn’t do its job. When the color, size, and shape are going to do the work intended with the food, beverage, or even the flowers to be contained, I can feel good about the piece. I’m also happy when my ceramic work ends up on the tables or walls of collectors. Whether my collectors are restaurant chef-owners and/or private clients, when the cup is in the hands of a person, it is where I had hoped it could be. I feel the vase is doing its work well in the world when it is used on the table with flowers. I believe there is a big difference in the feel of handmade work compared to commercially made work. I want more and more people to experience that difference. I’m also happy when the sculptures I’ve made in wood or stone rest in the living spaces and gardens of my collectors. Sometimes this work contrasts the environment around it and by doing so, I have been told it softens the space visually or brings the eye a place to land in such a way that the viewer feels a bit of peace. The process of seeing work placed in this way for others gives me joy.
The natural materials I use — whether in clay, wood, or stone — also have a degree of workability. The materials themselves lend a design direction and there are limitations and parameters in the production process of each. I am happy when the work stands alone, in a sense, it stands in an elemental way. 

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I would say that the work I do is equally about pottery as it is about sculpture. I’ve been working as a sculptor much longer than I have been working as a potter and my approach is the same because I am the same person just using different materials and techniques. I respect the materials I’m working with to a degree that I want them preserved above and beyond my influence over them. I approach clay similarly as I do stone or wood, with the mindset that the material is already by itself holding significance, and what I bring to it is a lightness, keeping myself back from it as I am able while still forming something maybe a degree beyond the original state of the material, maybe three degrees.
I recalled a time when I was working on a wood sculpture. It was a hollowed tree trunk that I was enjoying working with, sanding some smooth edges, but also deeply respecting the form as it had grown. A friend was passing through the studio and said something to the effect of, “What will it be?” and I took this as such a huge compliment. I’d already spent weeks working on this piece and it was nearly complete, but it maintained the essence of its original state. I try not to overwork my work. Some of the highest compliments I’ve received about my work are that a piece of pottery looks dug up or that a piece of wood still has yet to become something other than itself.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would spend a good amount of time at my studio in Boulder County. Perhaps it would be a visit for an Open Studio sale that I do each year in the summer. There are always a ton of interesting people passing through my studio for these sales. I would serve my drip coffee and some small treats and just enjoy time in the studio and garden together. I built a pizza oven for my backyard last summer so we could enjoy some wood-fired dishes at home. A part of my line of ceramics is developed with chefs specifically for their restaurants. Star Ramen, AOI, Wolf’s Tailor, Ototo, and Sushi Den are all places that serve their dishes on O’baware and they all have excellent chefs and menus. At that point, I would give the choice to my friend.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I apprenticed under two masters, Jerry Wingren of Boulder, a sculptor in wood and stone, then also master Takashi Nakazato, a potter from Karatsu, Japan

I apprenticed under Jerry for four years during which time I also worked in restaurants and was finishing my bachelor’s degree. Over time, I became his studio manager and traveled throughout Europe and the US with him to create works and execute other tasks such as installing exhibitions, delivering to clients’ homes, and selecting stones from quarries.

I learned how to run a studio from both of these men, how to respect the materials and tools, and how to dedicate my time. My work is my life and my life is my work. It was the same for my masters, so perhaps this is the biggest lesson I took from them to love the process of the work in a way that is truly integrated into my way of life.

Website: www.obaware.com

Instagram: @oba_ware

Image Credits
Photography by Ali Vagnini: ali-v.co and O’baware Studio