與陶藝家故金あかり聊天，年輕、溫暖親切的印象和她的作品帶點微妙的相似。「如果一直只做那些淨色、光滑的陶器，感覺很寂寞似的。」因此她創作了一系列像石頭、鏽蝕金屬般原始和粗糙的陶器，圓潤、柔和的顏色裡藏著各種深淺變化的色調，猶如來自遠古時代的器物。
故金生於日本岐阜縣多治見市，是「美濃燒」的重點產地，被視為日本的陶藝之市。「家人雖不是做陶，但媽媽和姊姊都是美術大學畢業，從事紡織品設計。自小受到薰陶而對藝術產生的興趣，後來我接觸了陶藝便喜歡上了。」故金在武藏野美術大學畢業後，於多治見市陶磁器意匠研究所繼續深造。她說，用雙手把泥土塑造成心中的形狀，不用多餘的解釋，由實物呈現出來是最有說服力的。
今年首次在香港舉行個人展覽，故金為Gallery Credence選了兩種不同風格的作品，米白色的陶器擁有光滑的表面，微微呈波浪的杯邊和上色不勻為作品帶來獨特性。「在武藏野美術大學修讀時，大多是做這種沒太多顏色的陶器，後來我嘗試把不同物料混入顏料中，創作了如大理石般的陶器。從前到博物館參觀時，很喜歡羅馬的瓷器，予人古老、粗糙的印象，我尤其喜歡那種傷痕的感覺。我不太喜歡太完美、太光滑無瑕的質感，因為這系列是自己原創的，所以我認為比較貼近自己的風格。」
故金說她很喜歡大自然，靈感很多時都是從大自然裡跑出來的。失去創作靈感時，她會出外散步，偶然看到樹下形狀很美的野菇、樹葉，便會把它們的形態、色彩融入作品之中。別人認為沒有用處的枯葉，她會用來做黃色顏料；磨碎了石頭成為金屬粉，成為陶器上灰啡的顏色。陶器上豐富細膩的色彩，就如大自然一樣。即使是她常用的藍色，也有著不同的層次。「原料是陶瓷用的藍色，深藍、淺藍和帶點黑色的藍，都是以不同顏料混合出來，需要燒兩次才能完成。很多時候最讓人苦惱的地方是不能一次就燒到自己喜歡的顏色，因為燒前和燒後都會有色差，若不喜歡的話，我會重新上釉再燒。」
耐熱或能入焗爐的鍋，雖然給予我們很大的方便，但是生活總要有些「不方便」的儀式感吧？「煮米時我會用自己做的陶瓷鍋，比起焗爐，我更喜歡柴燒，有一種原始生活的感覺。加上，陶鍋使用久了便會有燒焦過的痕跡，所以我很喜歡。」有人會視故金的作品為藝術品，放在一旁作觀賞；也有人當它是日常器具地使用，好像皮革一樣，越用越有味道。
「除了展覽中的茶杯、碗、碟子等器物，我也會創作很大的壺，像醃製食物的瓶。事實上我很喜歡做一些很大的作品，例如是如成人一般大的壺。為了這個目標，我在想現在的工作室實在不夠大，正思考著是否要搬呢。」故金笑著續說，「現在也會做一些掛牆的作品，因為現代人的居住環境越來越小，所以掛牆的作品似乎更易於收藏和展示呢。」意念來自破裂了的花瓶，以手捏的方式製作成的陶器像畫般被掛起來，成為了一種新的觀賞方式。
「我希望作品予人溫柔細膩、自然優雅的感覺，若是感覺不到也不要緊，我是抱著這種心情來創作呢。」她笑說。
Ceramic artist Akari Karugane has a youthful, warm, and friendly demeanor that is reflected in her work. “It feels lonely to keep making pottery with only solid color and smooth surface.” For this reason, Karugane created a series of works with a primitive and rough outlook that resemble stones and rusted metals, mimicking the ancient artifacts in smooth and soft colors of various shades and depth.
Karugane was born in Tajimi City, Gifu Prefecture, Japan, which is a major production area of Mino ware and known as the city of pottery in Japan. “Although no one in my family is a potter, I became interested in art at a young age because my mother and sister both graduated from a fine arts university and work in textile design. Later on, when I learned about pottery, I immediately fell in love with it.” After graduating from Musashino Art University, Karugane continued her studies at the Ceramics Research Institute in Tajimi City. She believes that shaping clay into the form she desires with her own hands is the most convincing way of expression; the work will speak for itself, and there is no need for unnecessary explanations.
This year, Karugane held her debut solo exhibition in Hong Kong at Gallery Credence, where she showcased two series of work with contrasting styles. The white series features pieces with a smooth surface, slightly wavy edges, and uneven coloring. “When I was studying at Musashino Art University, I mostly made pottery with minimal colors. Later on, I tried mixing pigments with different materials and created some work that resembles marble. Whenever I go to museums, I love looking at ceramics from Rome. They give an impression of antiquity and roughness. I especially like the look of scars as I don’t like textures that are too perfect or smooth. Since this series is my original creation, I wanted it to be closer to my own style.”
Karugane finds inspiration in nature and often takes walks when she needs to be inspired. During these walks, she often spots beautiful wild mushrooms or leaves under a tree, which she incorporates into her work by taking inspiration from their unique forms and colors. She even uses dried leaves that others consider useless to make yellow pigment, and grinds stones into powder to color her pottery. The rich and delicate colors of her work resemble nature, and even the blue color that she often uses has its unique shade and depth. “The base is a blue pigment for ceramics. I mixed it with different pigments to create deep blue, light blue, and slightly dark blue. It needs to be fired twice to achieve the desired color. The most troublesome thing is not being able to get the color I want in one firing because there will be color differences before and after firing. Usually, if I don’t like the color, I will reapply the glaze and fire it again.”
While oven-safe and heat-resistant pots are convenient, we do need some rituals in life that come with a sense of inconvenience, right? “When I make rice, I use my own ceramic pot. I prefer wood-burning stoves to ovens because they give me a sense of primitive life. In addition, a well-used ceramic pot will have burnt marks, which I love,” says Karugane. Some people view Karugane’s work as art pieces and display them for viewing, while others use them as daily utensils. Like leather, they develop their distinct character with use and become more interesting over time.
“In addition to the cups, bowls, and plates showcased in the exhibition, I also create large pots, like jars for pickling food. In fact, I really enjoy making large pieces, such as pots that are as big as an adult. I’m even considering moving to a larger studio because of this,” Karugane shares with a laugh. “I also make wall-hangings now because living spaces are getting smaller, so wall-hanging pieces seem to be easier to collect and display.” Drawing inspiration from a broken vase, Karugane pinches unique works that can be hung up like paintings, creating a new way of appreciation for her art.
“I hope my work gives people a delicate, natural, and elegant feeling. Even if they can’t perceive it, it doesn’t matter. I create with those thoughts in mind regardless,” says Karugane with a smile.
