Ceramics

Alongside her textile practice, Emi explores the expressive potential of natural materials through ceramics. Building on her background in copper weaving and natural dyeing, she approaches clay with the same philosophy of sustainability and respect for tradition. She has attended multiple ceramic workshops, developing skills in hand-throwing and creating her own glazes using traditional Japanese recipes combined with locally sourced natural materials. Emi sees strong parallels between her ceramic process and her textile work, particularly in the way both rely on natural resources and emphasize surface, texture, and materiality.

Her ceramic journey includes experiences with Bizen Pottery in Japan, ancient pottery techniques using wild clay, wood firings, and the art of kintsugi. She has worked as a studio assistant at Illyria Pottery in Oxford, and has also established a ceramic studio from the ground up for an organization, training others in kiln loading and firing. These experiences have shaped her into both a skilled maker and an educator—she now runs ceramic courses and exhibits and sells her work through galleries and shops.

Emi’s primary ceramic works are matcha tea bowls and vases, created using hand-throwing techniques. She formulates her own glazes from copper, wood ash, and other natural materials, resulting in surfaces that echo the tactile richness of her textiles. For Emi, ceramics are not separate from her textile practice but an extension of it—another way to explore the dialogue between tradition, craft, and nature.