Featured Seller: Koide Studio

One of the vendors at my SMASHED! Craft Fair/Party was Kiyomi from Koide Studio. She creates these beautiful ceramic wares that I completely fell in love with. Please read on and learn about her journey in becoming a ceramics artist, and don't forget to check out her shop, Koide Studio!

Hi! I am Kiyomi from Koide Studio.

Even when I was a child, I liked crafting but I’d never imagined to become a ceramist. In college, I studied architectural interior design and worked for an architecture firm after graduating. The work was a bit away from creativity, and most of my creative juice went into ceramics.

 I think food is my first passion. “I wanted to make my own cup and bowl for everyday use!”, that was my motivation. Eating is an everyday activity so I wanted to make it more personal and fun. I also imagined that eating from your own bowl, or made by somebody you know would be healthier (I mean spiritually).

 For the first time I discovered of joy of ceramics was in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. That was long time ago, and I kept that passion hidden and I started taking ceramics classes again in 2002. Since then, I’ve been obsessed with making ceramic pieces.

My passion is making functional pieces. I want to use them, and I want them to be used. Not for special occasion, but for everyday life. I am from Japan, but I wouldn’t describe my pieces very Japanese. They are more mixed in many different cultures as I traveled and lived in some colorful countries. I like funky style, drawing with colors, round shape, kitties, etc. I also believe a bit of oddness makes pieces more interesting and special to each person. So I let modern technology to make perfect merchandises and in the meantime I make funky stuff. My inspiration comes from everywhere and from every aspect in my daily life, the changing color of the sky, falling leaves on the street, door knobs, some sweets made by a friend, etc… My ultimate goal is to travel somewhere, let’s say Spain, and find my cups used in a café I stop by. Wouldn't it be cool?

www.koidestudio.etsy.com