Tetsuya Ozawa
Trusting the Form, Not Overthinking
When discussing craftsmanship, some people express strong principles and clear concepts directly. However, Tetsuya Ozawa's words convey the same serene and gentle impression as his works. These are the words of someone who has steadily built up his craft, one piece at a time, while confirming what he can do and what he can sustainably continue to do. In his words, there was an honesty towards living as an artist and a straightforward gaze towards the existence of vessels.
Born in Tajimi City, Gifu Prefecture in 1984, Ozawa graduated from the Department of Fine Arts, Nagoya University of Arts. In 2008, he apprenticed under Masamichi Yoshikawa and currently continues to create in Tokoname City, Aichi Prefecture. Having grown up in an area where pottery was familiar, and having regarded the profession of a potter as a reality from an early age, Ozawa's current path may have been a natural extension of that flow.
Pottery Was Not a Distant Profession
For Ozawa, who was born and raised in Tajimi City, Gifu Prefecture, pottery was not a particularly distant world. Pottery was part of his art classes, and there were adults around him who made a living as potters. His words, "From a young age, I felt a strange sense of reality about the profession of a potter," left a strong impression.
While he wasn't particularly good at academics, he enjoyed art and music. When he started thinking about his future, he thought, "If it's going to be a job, I'd rather do something I love," and pottery naturally became one of his options. Although painting and music also crossed his mind, the presence of professional potters in his immediate surroundings made that choice feel more realistic.
Afterward, he encountered pottery at Tajimi Technical High School, majored in pottery at university, and then apprenticed under Masamichi Yoshikawa. His reason for moving to Tokoname was also clear; the presence of his mentor was significant, he says. When he saw his mentor creating large works and truly living through pottery, he felt, "This person is the real deal." This realization led him to the desire to also live as a professional.
Discovering My Form Through Vessels
When he was younger, he apparently aimed for novel forms no one had ever seen and so-called contemporary expressions. From his university days until some time after coming to Tokoname, he pursued sculptural objects and novelty in form. However, as he spent years under Yoshikawa, he recalls, "I realized deeply that I and my mentor were completely different people."
Even if he aimed in the same direction, he wouldn't achieve the same intensity. Even trying to imitate his mentor, there was no necessity in it for him. It was through this trial and error that he suddenly found a response in vessels.
Ozawa says that being in the form of a vessel that everyone knows, having a predefined purpose of use, and precisely because of these constraints, it suited him. He didn't need to overemphasize anything. There was room for users to interpret, allowing him not to assert himself too much. This sense of distance perfectly aligned with his artistic identity.
How to Use a Vessel Is Beyond the Creator's Intent
"Even if I'm asked what kind of food this vessel is for, I don't really have a specific image in mind."
True to his words, Ozawa's vessels possess 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 and how to use them. It could be a dog's food bowl, or simply something to place and admire. It seemed he understood the existence of vessels, including this freedom.
On the other hand, this freedom was not born from an irresponsible attitude as an artist. He says that many of the shapes he has created so far are the result of gradually refining them through interactions with customers. How big is comfortable to hold? What shape is easy to use? The shape he wants to create and the shape that naturally fits the user. Only the vessels that find meaning and value by navigating between these two are left. His current artistic outline is shaped by the accumulated context.
In that sense, Ozawa's work is less about strong self-expression and more about a style that matures through relationships and influences with his surroundings. Rather than being confined to the thoughts and creativity of a single creator, his forms gradually emerge through interaction with users and the market. This gentle approach can also be felt in the demeanor of his vessels.
Not Overexerting Oneself Is Also a Quality
What was striking when listening to him speak was how calmly Ozawa observed his own nature. He admires artists who are rigorously self-disciplined and driven by strong expression. Yet, he frankly admits that he is not one to force himself into that mold.
Like his mentor, the earnest urge to "make this, no matter what" is something he still can't articulate well. While he feels hesitation and an inferiority complex about this, he is always conscious of continuing in a way that is sustainable for him without overexertion.
This attitude might appear somewhat modest for an artist. However, his approach to pottery, which includes continuing for a long time, making a living, and supporting his family, reflects professionalism. Before being an artist, he squarely faces pottery as a profession. This realistic sensibility, perhaps, prevents his works from having excessive tension, leading instead to a certain amiable lightness.
Nevertheless, Still Searching for the Next Form
With his works currently widely accepted in overseas markets, he has 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 further refine and sharpen the beautiful forms created on the potter's wheel," suggest new possibilities.
Furthermore, precisely because he cannot fully explain his works in words, he has started an attempt to convey the production process through videos. Instead of eloquently describing what he is making, he directly shows how it is being made. This method also seems to be an expression of Ozawa's characteristic frankness.
Instead of strongly asserting himself, he assesses what he can do at present and gradually moves towards the next stage. How the sensibilities cultivated within the familiar existence of vessels will open up to other forms from now on remains to be seen. His pace is still slow, but a powerful desire for a new artistic identity can be felt.
After listening carefully, I felt that for Ozawa, creation is not just "expression" to strongly assert himself, but also a form of communication to find the right point of contact with others. Leaving room for users to interpret, sensitively grasping market reactions, and nurturing relationships within a certain tension. And as an artist and a professional, continuing in a sustainable style. The accumulation of these quiet choices gives Ozawa's vessels both softness and a light sense of tension.
