Hitomi Hosono

Hitomi Hosono was born in Gifu, a prefecture famous for its rich history of ceramic production. Her grandfather worked as a specialist tiler, which along with the nature abundant in her hometown, has had an enormous impact on her work. Hosono continues to draw inspiration from her childhood memories of nature in Japan. She also enjoys walking in the green landscape in London discovering the all-encompassing beauty in nature; examining a plant’s structure, touching the surface to understand texture and depth. These discoveries feed her imagination and become part of her thoughts when she is creating new works. Sometimes the porcelain itself will be the source of inspiration. Kneading, brushing, carving, there are many processes before the shape emerges from the porcelain clay and begins to take the form of her tactile memory.

Hitomi Hosono’s work has a firm grounding in the Japanese ceramic tradition, accentuated by the exceptional detailing found in her intricate work. However, her technique was initially inspired by Wedgwood’s Jasperware, where thin ceramic reliefs or ‘sprigs’ are applied as surface decoration to a piece. For Hosono’s own work, she uses sprigs in a more sculptural way often covering entire surfaces with layers of overlapping sprigs. First, she designs the sprig models by studying botanical forms. After completion of the original models and plaster moulds, Hosono press-moulds hundreds of porcelain sprigs, which she then patiently carves with even finer details. These are applied in many overlapping layers onto the form created on a potter’s wheel. Her works are highly textured, inviting the viewer’s eye and stimulating the imagination.

Hitomi Hosono started to engage creatively with clay at the Tajimi Technical High School in Japan. After her high school studies, Hosono moved to Kanazawa city to learn the overglaze technique of Kutani and began to create her own contemporary work. Following a scholarship to study in Denmark, she then secured a place at London's prestigious Royal College of Art (RCA). It was whilst studying there that she became fascinated by the pottery technique of sprigging, typically used on Wedgwood Jasperware and learnt more when completing a placement at Wedgwood.

Porcelain Virtuosity Exhibition