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藤井龍在七年前造了一批手捏的陶瓷杯子，歪歪斜斜、凹凸不平的白色杯子，上面用了藍色的顏料加上稚氣的手繪圖案。用它喝水的話，嘴巴大概會感受到它波浪般的質感，如同它的外表，予人怪異又玩味的感覺。他把系列名為「Untitled」，是他創立的陶藝品牌SHOKKI的首個系列。「我是受到我的伴侶影響而接觸到陶藝，一開始時視為興趣，經數個月的學習後，我忽爾萌生了一個想法，說起來像開玩笑，如果可以創作一個品牌來發展我的創作必定很有趣，於是SHOKKI便誕生了。」SHOKKI在日本語裡是食器的意思，但他做的，卻不止食器，還有花盆、盛器、垃圾筒和擺設等，鮮明的顏色和隨意率直的設計，令每一件作品都是獨一無二的。也許別人認為是不完美或是失敗的作品，在藤井龍的眼裡卻是充滿著人性的陶器，還帶著讓人發笑的幽默感。「很難說我是甚麼的創作風格，因為我很少回顧完成了的作品，但由於我很享受塑造形狀的時刻，所以我會說也許形狀是SHOKKI作品裡最重要的元素。」
造陶最奇妙的地方大概是即使我們機關算盡，最後的成品也不會如最初的想像。在窯裡拿下成品時，猶如看著剛出生的小孩，總會帶來些驚喜和感動。「我經常思考當我在窯拿下成品時，在甚麼的程度上我會欣然地接受我的創作，尤其是成品與我期待的不一樣時。我感到我的創作一直被自己考驗著。」即使如此，藤井龍仍是真心的喜歡創作，放棄創作，對他來說是不可能做到的事。這顆喜歡創作的心一直推動著他不斷地製作陶器，如時裝一般，每季都有新的主題，也會與不同的品牌合作帶來新鮮感，如選物店和雜誌等，同時不定期地舉辦展覽和工作坊。「我想嘗試做一些不是食器的東西，或許可以使用陶泥以外的物料。我還希望與別人無法想像的人或品牌合作，並以意想不到的方式來創作。雖然說起來像個笑話，但是若果能與一個製造洗手間的人一起製作一個洗手間也不錯呢！」倘若真的有一個SHOKKI的洗手間，它大概擁有著讓人待很久也不願出來的魔力，連日常的需要也變成充滿樂趣的事情呢。
SHOKKI的陶器有別於傳統的日本陶器，傳統的是低調無聲、默然地融入空間裡；SHOKKI卻是鮮明出眾的，獨立於空間裡，改變了周遭的氛圍。「以我最近創作的掛牆鐘為例，時針和分針糢糊地顯示著時間，看似很難閱讀，但同時讓我們了解到以另一種方式過日子也相當不錯。感謝它讓我們懂得放慢腳步地過日子。」對藤井龍來說，平凡人做的陶器比著名的陶藝家更為吸引，因為簡單直接的表達就是最動人的作品。
Seven years ago, Ryo Fujii hand-pinched a set of misshapen white mugs and then hand-painted them with drawings in blue. With a rough surface that looks like water ripples, these mugs are bizarre yet playful. Fujii named this set of mugs, Untitled, and they are the premier release from his ceramic collection, SHOKKI. “My partner brought me into the world of pottery. It started out as a hobby, but then a few months later, the idea of turning it into an art project came up. This is how SHOKKI was born.” Shokki means tableware in Japanese, but its namesake collection by Fujii is, however, not confined by such definition. Fujii’s SHOKKI collection features tableware, flower pots, containers, trash cans and decorations etc. These works to some might not be on par with perfection, but they all come across as blunt, vibrant, and unique. To Fujii, these works are full of meanings and emotions, and what’s more, they can make people laugh. “It’s difficult to define my style because I rarely review my work. But since I enjoy the process of shaping a lot, I’d therefore say shape is the most important element in the SHOKKI collection.”
The most amazing thing about pottery is probably the fact that you can never guess how exactly your work will turn out. Opening a kiln is like welcoming a newborn child — always full of surprises. “Before opening the kiln, I often wonder whether I can gracefully welcome my own work — especially those works that might come out differently from what I expect. I feel like I am the one who is always judging and questioning my own work.” Even so, Fujii is still very much devoted to creating. He is inspired to introduce new projects constantly, and bring on a new theme every season. He also collaborates with different brands and magazines, and holds exhibitions and workshops from time to time. “I want to do something other than just making tableware. Maybe I will try experimenting with materials rather than clay. I also want to collaborate with a brand or person that can hardly be associated with me in an unexpected way. It might come off as a joke, but it’s not a bad idea to collaborate with a bathroom maker! ” If there really is a SHOKKI x bathroom collaboration, bathroom visits will certainly become a fun and interesting experience.
While traditional Japanese pottery is known for its subtle and natural forms, every piece from SHOKKI is distinctive in nature. They have the magic to transform the atmosphere in a room. “Take the wall clock that I recently created as an example. It might be difficult to tell the exact time from it, but then, it opens up a new perspective, as in, how we can spend time in a totally different way. It slows us down.” For Ryo Fujii, the pottery made by ordinary people is more inspiring than those created by celebrated artists. After all, simplicity is the most captivating.
