The concept of Studio Hanzashi was born long before I ever worked with clay. Like myself, it was a wandering vessel waiting for its purpose. Initially conceived as a brand identity for a record and graphic art label, the concept has persisted as a root of my expanded art practice that now
finds ceramics as its focus.

The literal translation of “hanzashi” from Japanese is “half-plugged.” The musical slang word is used in the Japanese music scene to refer to the unexpected and glitchy effects attained from partially connecting audio cables. The interstitial and improvisational qualities of this term speaks deeply to me, as I often view the pottery wheel through a musical lens. A way to channel and shape material in real time. I finally found the instrument that I desire to play everyday. As the platter spins, the movements of body are transferred into the clay, and once the piece is fired that performance is recorded by the flames of the kiln.

Ceramic artists often speak of “listening to the clay.” My hands move to begin the suggestion of a shape, starting a dialogue. I have no desire to assert dominance over the clay. My consciousness is half-plugged as I work, aiming to leave as much room for the natural materials I am using as I do
for myself. In between the goals of finding truth in the material and finding truth within myself, two impossible tasks, the shape of my work settles in the interstices.

The coastal glaze is the most indicative of Hanzashi. Two glazes overlap to create a new and unrepeatable chemical reaction in the kiln, creating an oceanic effect that evokes waves crashing onto a cliffside. It looks like nature, because it is nature.