Yoshiyuki Shimizu is a potter based in Dosenbo, deep in the mountains straddling Uji and Nara in western Japan. While his work has a range of forms and finishes, at his core, Shimizu san is intersted in exploring three things: clay, glaze and the reaction of the wood kiln. A student of clay types, he travels far and wide to scour the mountainsides for unique clay and materials to craft his glazes. His rustic works have an underlying elegance that is immediatly understood when used. Shimzu san's world has been built around tea. His backyard is a literal tea field. This has lead to a fascination with roasting houjicha - a pursuit he has taken on with mighty vigor. He now hand roasts Houjicha made from heirloom zairai bushes - crafting up to 50kg a year in small, 200g gram batches.
