Kikuchi Toru

Kikuchi Toru, born in Ibaraki Prefecture, attended the Ibaraki Prefectural Ceramics Guidance Center in Kasama after graduating from design school. In 1996, he began studying under Hitoshi Fujimoto in Kasama and remained in the city even after starting his own business as a potter.

Toru Kikuchi's pottery style is very special. He first chooses the weight of the clay and then starts making shapes as he comes up with them. The individual pieces in a series may be similar in weight, but they are often different in shape and never the same. His pieces are artistic, but always have a practical use as a vase or bowl.