Bizen, Okayama Prefecture – Bizen ware
Born into the Mori family, one of the six historic kiln-master lineages (kamamoto rokusei) of Bizen – one of Japan’s Six Ancient Kilns, with an unbroken 800-year history. Bizen ware uses no glaze and no painted decoration: pieces are formed from local clay alone and wood-fired for up to two weeks, so color and texture come entirely from how flame, ash, and oxygen move through the kiln. No two pieces are ever alike. Ichiro Mori studied sculpture at Tokyo University of the Arts (BA and MA), spent time in the UK and the Netherlands on a fellowship, and built his own anagama (tunnel) kiln in 2014. He is also a leading voice among Bizen’s younger generation of makers.