Don't overthink it, just let the form guide you.
When talking about craftsmanship, some people express strong ideals and clear concepts directly. However, when listening to Tatsuya Osawa speak, I get the same serene and gentle impression as from his work. These are the words of someone who has steadily built up his work, piece by piece, confirming what he can do and what he can sustainably continue. There was a sincerity in his approach to living as an artist and a direct gaze towards the essence of a vessel.

Born in Tajimi City, Gifu Prefecture in 1984, Tatsuya Osawa graduated from Nagoya University of Arts with a degree in fine art. In 2008, he apprenticed under Masamichi Yoshikawa and now continues his work in Tokoname City, Aichi Prefecture. Having grown up in an area where pottery was commonplace, Osawa perceived the profession of a potter as a tangible reality from an early age, so his current path may have been a natural extension of that flow.

Pottery wasn't a distant career
For Osawa, who was born and raised in Tajimi City, Gifu Prefecture, pottery was never a particularly distant world. Pottery was part of his art classes, and adults living as potters were all around him. His comment that he "felt a strange sense of realism towards the profession of a potter from a young age" left a strong impression.

While he wasn't particularly good at school studies, he loved art and music. When he started thinking about his career path, he thought, "If I'm going to work, I might as well do something I love," and pottery naturally became one of his options. Although he considered being a painter or musician, the presence of professional potters in his immediate environment gave a sense of reality to that choice.

Afterward, he encountered pottery at Tajimi Technical High School, majored in pottery at university, and then apprenticed under Masamichi Yoshikawa. The reason for moving to Tokoname was also clear, he says, citing the significant presence of his master. He says he felt, "This person is the real deal," when he saw him handling large works and truly living through pottery. This realization led to his desire to also live as a professional.

Finding my form through vessels
When he was younger, he apparently aimed for innovative forms that no one had ever seen, or what might be called contemporary expressions. For a period after coming to Tokoname during his university days, he pursued sculptural objects and newness in form. However, as he spent years under Yoshikawa, he recalls realizing "with my own body that I and my master were completely different people."

Even if he aimed in the same direction, he couldn't achieve the same power. Even if he tried to imitate his master, there was no necessity in it for him. As he continued this trial and error, he suddenly felt a sense of fulfillment with vessels.

Osawa explains that it was the familiar form of a vessel, its inherent purpose for use, and precisely those constraints that suited him. He didn't have to assert anything excessively. There was room to entrust it to the user, allowing him to not put himself too much forward. That sense of distance perfectly aligned with his own artistic identity.

How it's used is beyond the creator.
"When asked what kind of food this vessel is for, I don't really have a specific image."

True to his words, Osawa's vessels have a unique lightness that doesn't dictate how they should be used. Because he believes that vessels belong to the user, he wants to leave it up to the recipient what to put in them or how to use them. It could be a dog's food bowl, or simply something to place and admire. He seems to perceive the existence of a vessel, including this freedom.

On the other hand, this freedom was not born out of irresponsibility as an artist. Many of the forms he has created so far are the result of gradual refinement through interactions with customers. How big is comfortable to hold? What shape is easy to use? The form he wants to create and the form that naturally fits the user. Only vessels that have found meaning and value by going back and forth between these two aspects remain. His current outline is shaped by the accumulated context.

In this sense, Osawa's work is not so much a strong self-expression as it is a style that matures through relationships and influences with others. Rather than being completed by the ideology and creativity of a single maker, it gradually finds its form through contact with users and the market. This gentle attitude can be felt in the presence of his vessels.

Not overdoing it is also a quality.
What was striking when listening to him speak was how calmly Osawa views his own nature. He admires artists who are relentlessly self-critical and pursue powerful expression. However, he also frankly admits that he is not someone who forces himself into that mold.

Unlike his master, he still struggles to articulate the profound urge to "absolutely create this." While he feels hesitation and a complex about this, he is always conscious of sustaining his work in a way that feels natural to him.

This attitude might appear somewhat modest for an artist. However, his approach to pottery, which includes the desire to continue for a long time, to make a living, and to protect his family's life, shows professionalism. Before being an artist, he directly views pottery as a profession. This realistic sense of touch may prevent Osawa's work from feeling overly tense, instead giving it a certain amiable lightness.

Still, searching for the next form.
With his works now widely accepted in overseas markets, there is a desire to expand beyond just vessels to more impactful pieces. He is also interested in areas like flower vases and sculptural objects, and his words, "I want to make the beautiful forms created by the potter's wheel more rigorous and refined," inspire anticipation for new possibilities.

Furthermore, precisely because he cannot fully explain his work with words, he has started an endeavor to convey his creative process through videos. Instead of eloquently describing what he is making, he shows how he is making it. This method also seems to be an expression of Osawa's characteristic frankness.

Instead of putting strong assertions front and center, he discerns what he can do now and gradually moves to the next place. How will the sensibilities cultivated within the familiar existence of vessels open up to other forms in the future? His progress is still slow, but a powerful desire for new artistic expression can be felt.

After a thorough conversation, I realized that for Osawa, creation is not just "expression" to strongly assert himself, but also a form of communication to find the right connection with others. It involves leaving room for the user, sensitively sensing market reactions, and nurturing the work within a dynamic relationship. And, as an artist and professional, it means continuing in a sustainable style. The accumulation of these quiet choices gives Osawa's vessels a gentle yet subtly tense quality.