Hirose Haru's pottery has a unique look, as if its white is shimmering. Surprisingly, the method used to create these pieces is cloisonné, a technique used to create gorgeous furnishings. He exhibited these works in 2019 at his first solo exhibition at the age of 29, but his encounter with cloisonné dates back to his days at technical high school.
"After graduating from art school, I exhibited my work in the field of contemporary art for several years. At that time, I enjoyed trying new things, and I always used different materials and expressions. When I got a job, I took a break and looked back at what I had done in the past.
At that time, I decided to try making a dish using the metalworking techniques I learned in university and the cloisonné ware I learned in high school. When I think back to the first time I came into contact with cloisonné ware, I was impressed by the beautiful white base, and I thought it would be nice to finish it in that state."
The studio was created by renovating a used apartment and removing the walls. Small electric cloisonné furnaces are lined up in the back left. 
A copper-white glazed oval plate with a cloisonne rim, with a perfectly calculated balance.
In the original cloisonné technique, where colorful glazes are baked onto metal, the key is to apply the colors on top of the white and make the colors appear as beautifully as possible. Therefore, it is impossible to have uneven color on the base, let alone a finish where the white is faintly visible. However, Hirose began making prototypes in an attempt to bring out the fundamental charm he felt. However, as with cloisonné, the raw materials are still expensive.
"I thought that deliberately making everyday tableware using cloisonné ware, which is considered a luxury item, would be something completely new. I wanted to try making and seeing something that doesn't exist in this world."
It takes a lot of time and effort to complete a cloisonné vessel. The copper plate is cut, heated over a burner to soften it, and then hammered into shape using a wooden mold. It is then thoroughly washed, coated with glue, and then coated with a glassy glaze before being fired one by one in an electric furnace, a process that is repeated three times.
Copper that has been heated until it is red hot remains surprisingly soft even after it has cooled. 
White glaze is sprinkled evenly onto the glued copper. 
A display shelf in the corner of the workshop displays items in progress and prototypes.
"Using the knowledge I gained from designing during my time as a company employee, I design wooden molds using 3D data and then use an automatic cutting machine to carve them out of wood. By doing the rest of the work by hand, I can achieve a balance that is not as rigid as that of a finished product. Mass-produced glass cups from around 1900 are the same shape, but each one has individual differences such as air bubbles or wobble. I like that balance, so I create my products using a combination of handwork and machine processing."
The white texture of the cloisonné vessels, which alternate between industrial and handcrafted products, cold and warm, numbers and sensations, is created on the basis of various balances.
"I've been collecting antiques and pottery ever since I was reminded at antique shops and antique markets of the fun I used to have at flea markets looking for second-hand clothes. I don't sign my pieces because I want my pottery to become anonymous antiques hundreds or thousands of years from now, and when someone in the future picks it up, they'll think, 'There's something really nice about this pottery.' I continue to create with this in mind."
