Aya Kondo’s work first of all is based on patterns from her imagination. Born in Akita in the northern part of Japan, Kondo had a brief career in public service, which she interspersed with overseas travel to acquire observations in craft.

In the end, like many others, she found her home in Kasama. An active potter in the town since 2001, her work reflects a strong sensibility for the table. Kondo frequently returns to the ‘icchin’ technique of dripper applied slip to create motifs on the surface of her ceramics. She holds this in balance with sweet browns, and moss greens that recall the environment around her. With consistency and patience, Kondo is an important modern element in Kasama’s historic role of delivering great ceramics to tables around Japan.