Taja
Taja | Ceramics | Devon
Taja came to the UK from his native country Japan, to study oil painting in 1981 when he was 26 years old. Because of the tradition of pottery making in Devon, he gradually became interested in becoming a potter, and so his career as a ceramicist started.
He has used white and red earthenware to make small sculptural forms like very colourful mermaid candlesticks and fish bowls, soda glazed stoneware for large scale garden sculpture and outdoor murals. He even used brick clay to create 3m high human forms as a public commission.
As he passed the age of 50, his interest in pottery slowly became quieter. Maybe the Japanese side of his nature started appearing. So he decided to use porcelain clay. He was fascinated by its whiteness and translucent property.
In 2009, he was fortunate to have help from Arts Council UK to develop a porcelain blue glaze. Since then he has made hundreds of glaze tests.
