“Teshigoto no Ma,” organized by ichijo-toma, is a collaborative project held at gallery ichijo-toma. It brings together creators who continue to craft objects and experiences that infuse everyday life with creativity and warmth. The space and the artworks resonate with one another, offering a moment that nourishes both heart and body.

This edition features a collaboration with ceramic artist Masako Niimi. Her works are born through countless dialogues with the nature of clay and fire, resulting in pieces so beautiful that one cannot help but want to touch them.

We were deeply moved by Niimi’s sincere exploration of materials and her thoughtful approach to the objects that inhabit daily life. Through this exhibition, we hope to share the profound depth of her work and the quiet allure of her glazes.

The Art of Creation: Between Chance and Intention

Niimi’s works possess a mysterious power—one that evokes memories, or distant landscapes that dwell somewhere within the viewer’s heart.

To uncover the secret behind this quiet resonance, we visited her home studio. There, we witnessed how her approach to ceramics is deeply intertwined with daily life itself. The shelves lined with countless cups spoke of her many experiments with glazes—traces of her ongoing dialogue with material and process.

“Glaze is something entirely natural,” Niimi explains. “It’s made from substances that already exist on this earth. That alone is a constant source of inspiration.”

She is drawn to the spontaneous, uncontrollable nature of glaze reactions—those moments that occur beyond the maker’s will. Within the kiln, countless factors come into play: the composition of the glaze, its thickness, the shape of the piece, and the method of firing. Even the simplest forms Niimi creates are carefully considered, shaped with an awareness of how gravity and heat will influence the flow and depth of the glaze. Through the meeting of calculated form and the unpredictable reactions of fire, a rich and nuanced expression emerges.

When placed in everyday life, her pieces have the power to quietly draw one’s heart toward them—to invite touch, connection, and contemplation.

“As humans, we naturally want to touch what we find beautiful,” Niimi says. “I want to create objects that make you want to hold them close, to feel them in the palm of your hand.”

Landscapes Woven by Vessels

The vessels are arranged in a gentle flow, leading the eye from the tatami-lined room toward the moss garden beyond. From a distance, they resemble the quiet movement of a river; up close, each reveals a distinct expression, a subtle individuality shaped by hand and fire.

In designing the exhibition, we sought to create a spatial composition that allows visitors to experience Niimi’s work from multiple perspectives—from the process of making, to the act of viewing, to the tactile pleasure of using the pieces in daily life.

Niimi’s works transform constantly with the passage of time, the shifting of natural light, and the angle of illumination. Their appearance changes with each moment, and with each observer. Watching visitors pick up the pieces, carefully engage with them, and search for the one that speaks most deeply to them was profoundly moving—a quiet reminder of the beauty found in the encounter between object and person.

The Tea Gathering

During two days of the exhibition “The Poetry of Glaze,” we hosted a small tea gathering featuring special confections created by Sablier to accompany the display.

The sweets were crafted with familiar Japanese ingredients—sablés with a gentle aroma evoking the breath of spring, and financiers inspired by the glazes and clay of Niimi’s works. Guests were invited to enjoy these delicacies served on Niimi’s own ceramic pieces, paired with tea.

The encounter between Niimi’s works—born from meticulous experimentation and the serendipity of the kiln—and Sablier’s sweets, whose fragrances unfold delicately on the palate, offered a sensory harmony. It became a moment to fully experience the essence of teshigoto—the quiet, devoted craft that enriches both heart and body.

About the Original Piece

For this collaboration, Niimi created an original work in response to the spatial character of gallery ichijo-toma.

“In the space of gallery ichijo-toma—composed of straight elements such as tatami, pillars, and window frames—I wanted to create a gentle rhythm with a slightly diagonal line, something that would blend in yet quietly shift the balance,” says Niimi.
The result is a blue-tinged, parallelogram-shaped flat plate.

The glaze is made using kōyabai, the ash residue left after extracting lye during the indigo-dyeing process. The natural impurities within the ash create a distinctive coarse texture on the surface. Its subdued tone harmonizes beautifully with the diatomaceous earth walls of the gallery, evoking a quiet sense of warmth and affection.

The plate can be used not only for serving but also as a base for displaying vases or bowls, or even arranged in sequence like tiles. Made from natural materials, each piece evolves over time—an object that grows together with its owner, inviting a personal dialogue through use and care.

Visit the Online Store

Masako Niimi | Ceramic Artist

After studying ceramics at Kyoto Seika University and training at the Kyoto Municipal Institute of Industrial Technology and Culture, Masako Niimi established her own studio in 2010.
Through her unique glaze formulations and the combination of various clays and firing methods from different regions, she creates ceramics with deeply layered and expressive surfaces.
In recent years, she has held solo exhibitions such as “Yuragi no Iro” at Moriyama Teiaitou and has organized tea pairing events in collaboration with wagashi (Japanese confectionery) artisans.

Sablier | Confectionery Artist

Sablier creates sweets with the philosophy of “quietly savoring the present moment.”
With a free and inventive approach unconstrained by traditional techniques, they craft confections that engage the senses and the spirit.
Their creations are primarily available through their online shop.