Message 　　　　Masako Shiraishi

I am a ceramicist/space design artist.
What has taken me this far is curiosity that I have had for everything, in particular for earth, all my life since the childhood.
How on the earth could carrots grow under ground? Why are carrots so red?
Why can dark brown earth bring forth such red carrots? I have constantly kept asking why, why all the time.
As a little girl I would play in nature all day and I am sure it has helped me and prepared me to be creative.
Why? This question leads us one step deeper into the world unknown.
That is my creation.

The encounter as dramatic as to　have changed my life came to me when I was 20.
I was taking an art lesson one day at the college. When I saw right in front of me red melting earth looking like burning glass, I was awe-struck. There were no words that could express the emotions I was feeling. I was just overwhelmed and stood still.
That is how I decided to be a ceramicist.

Since then that overwhelming emotions have been still burning hot inside me, which helped me to overcome any hardships that have come in my path.
Sometimes what you created can change you. “Kaibyaku” or “Beginning” is such a work. It was finally completed after many hours of hard toil and labor of perfecting techniques. But more than this, the energy of the work impacted me very strongly.

I create my works in a form of “installation”.
That is because I believe all works organically connected in space, it lets large energy come into being.
What I am attempting to express by the use of clay is mother nature and people’s life; nothing more.
Use your imagination and fantasies.
The power of those should prompt us to think about the future of this planet and work as a driving force to shape a new world.
When everyone has eyes shining with hope, I am sure that will lead us to peace. I want to communicate this through my creation of clay.