Suien Blue Jomon Cachepot

In the Suien Blue Jomon Cachepot, the suggestion of water rises from the rim. Created by Kyoto-based ceramist Wakunami Madoka, the work draws from Jomon pottery distinguished by large upward projections and swirling motifs. Suien, literally “water smoke,” evokes rising water vapor, an image rendered in clay through openwork and circular form.

Rather than reconstruct a historical vessel, Wakunami studies the structural logic underlying such forms. Hollow elements are constructed separately and fitted against the body before circular apertures are carved into the surface. Each stage requires intervals of rest; clay must firm gradually before the next intervention. 

The body is coil-built entirely by hand, without the use of a wheel. Unlike her flame-inspired works, the structure here is moderated in its upper contours, allowing the rim to remain gently rounded and unobstructed. 

The glaze was conceived in relation to water. Rather than applying a dense glaze, she significantly dilutes her usual glaze to a fluid consistency and immerses the piece in a single motion. Through this method, tonal variation is encouraged to emerge during firing. Areas of darker transformation—the result of kiln effects known as yohen—appear alongside softer, lightly abraded passages. Slightly darker tones and deeper concentrations are intentionally pursued. The interior receives glaze through immersion as well, accepting the limits of reach rather than overworking the finish.

The resulting surface moves between saturation and restraint. Darkened accents, pooled depths, and subtle shifts in tone create visual rhythm, while the blue glaze harmonizes naturally with greenery.

Suien Blue explores rising movement and hollow structure, a contemporary reflection on Jomon pottery expressed through reverence, restraint, and material sensitivity.

Wakunami Madoka

Kyoto-based ceramic artist Wakunami Madoka finds inspiration in the ancient. Deeply moved by the art of the Jomon people, which is among the oldest pottery in the world, she reinterprets millennia-old forms for the present age. With a background in both Koishiwara ware, a ceramic folk craft originating in Kyushu, and Kyoto’s native Kyo ware, she lends a soft, graceful refinement to the primitive allure of Jomon forms through her use of new clay and glazes.