{"title":"Seiko Wakasugi 若杉聖子","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSeiko Wakasugi (若杉聖子)\u003c\/strong\u003e is a distinguished Japanese contemporary ceramic artist known for her ethereal, unglazed white porcelain that blurs the line between functional craft and conceptual sculpture.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWakasugi specializes in a meticulous slip-casting technique (ikomi), in which she carves original forms from plaster blocks before refining the cast pieces by hand to achieve a soft, skin-like texture.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHer work is heavily inspired by the organic geometry of nature—specifically the sinuous curves of flower buds, fruit, and plant life—resulting in delicate vessels that possess both a dignified stillness and a sensual, feminine vitality.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy firing her porcelain unglazed to the point of vitrification, she ensures that the focus remains entirely on the interplay of light and shadow across her pristine, architectural silhouettes.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"tea-cup","title":"Tall Petal Tea Cup","description":"\u003cp\u003eSlender petal forms rise from the base of this taller cup, then stop before reaching the rim. The contrast leaves part of the surface detailed and part almost completely quiet.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHeld in the hand, that balance becomes easy to appreciate. The lower relief offers texture beneath the fingers while the plain rim keeps drinking simple and comfortable. The detail never asks for more attention than it needs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFeatures\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe petals are conceived as part of the cup from the plaster-original stage. They are not painted or applied decoration, but part of the form itself, carried into porcelain through casting.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSlip casting has a long association with repeatable ceramic production. Wakasugi takes advantage of its precision for a different purpose, using it to pursue forms and relief that would be difficult to achieve on the wheel.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe transition between the detailed lower section and almost plain upper body leaves proportion exposed. With very little decoration elsewhere, the height of the petals, the amount of empty surface and the silhouette all have to work together.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaterial: White Porcelain\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDimensions: Ø 6 × H 5 cm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eArtist: Seiko Wakasugi\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHandcrafted\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLimited\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMade in Japan\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Seiko Wakasugi","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52554638524692,"sku":"CE-A017-005","price":160.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0985\/2262\/8372\/files\/Product-103.jpg?v=1780007762"},{"product_id":"tea-cup-1","title":"Layered Petal Tea Cup","description":"\u003cp\u003eLayers of pointed petals wrap around the lower half of this cup, giving your fingers a textured place to settle while the upper rim remains smooth and simple.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe detail becomes more noticeable once the cup is held. Warm tea, the porcelain and the raised pattern are experienced together, making touch as much a part of the cup as its appearance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFeatures\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe layered relief begins in the hand-shaped plaster original. The petals are built into the form itself rather than treated as a pattern added to the surface afterwards.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter the porcelain takes shape inside the plaster mold, the cast body is still fragile and requires careful removal and hand refinement. The complexity of the process is largely invisible once the finished cup reaches its quiet white form.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe relief is not only visual. Repeated petals change how the cup feels in the hand, bringing the sculptural work into an ordinary act of drinking tea.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaterial: White Porcelain\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDimensions: Ø 7.5 × H 4 cm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eArtist: Seiko Wakasugi\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHandcrafted\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLimited\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMade in Japan\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Seiko Wakasugi","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52554639081748,"sku":"CE-A017-004","price":180.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0985\/2262\/8372\/files\/Product-8_566a578d-5bad-4fa8-a595-de05dc28b69e.jpg?v=1780295339"},{"product_id":"small-bowl","title":"Four-Petal Bowl","description":"\u003cp\u003eFour broad curves give this small bowl its gently irregular outline. From one angle it feels almost round; turn it slightly and the rise and fall of the rim becomes more apparent.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is simple enough to use without thinking too much about it, yet beautiful enough to leave out afterwards. A small piece for the table that never quite looks the same from every side.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFeatures\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe quiet form begins with a plaster original shaped by hand. With so little decoration, small decisions in curvature, balance and proportion become unusually visible.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe mold is not the beginning of the design. Wakasugi first spends time finding the form in plaster, then uses slip casting to translate it into porcelain. What appears effortless is built through several distinct stages of making and refinement.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhite allows the eye to concentrate on the gentle four-part structure rather than colour or pattern. As light moves across the bowl, subtle shadows make its changing outline easier to see.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaterial: White Porcelain\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDimensions: W 10.8 × D 10.8 × H 3.6 cm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eArtist: Seiko Wakasugi\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHandcrafted\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLimited\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMade in Japan\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Seiko Wakasugi","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52554641703188,"sku":"CE-A017-007","price":110.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0985\/2262\/8372\/files\/Product-99.jpg?v=1780008035"},{"product_id":"small-bowl-1","title":"Five-Petal Bowl","description":"\u003cp\u003eViewed from above, this shallow bowl opens like a five-petalled flower. The broad sections meet softly at the center, while the fine points around the edge keep the shape crisp and defined.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAdd a few sweets or seasonal fruit and they naturally settle at the heart of the form. Left empty, the play of light across the white surface is enough to give the bowl a changing expression.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFeatures\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePlant life is a recurring source of inspiration in Wakasugi's work. Rather than reproducing a flower literally, she reduces its organic structure to curves, points and proportion, allowing the botanical idea to become a functional form.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe original shape begins as a solid block of plaster and is carved by hand before the porcelain mold is made. Each transition between the five sections therefore has to be resolved at the sculpting stage, long before the finished bowl emerges.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith no painted pattern or elaborate decoration, balance becomes especially important. Small differences in the width, depth and curvature of each section determine whether the finished form feels natural and resolved.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaterial: White Porcelain\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDimensions: W 14 × D 10.5 × H 4 cm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eArtist: Seiko Wakasugi\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHandcrafted\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLimited\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMade in Japan\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Seiko Wakasugi","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52554642096404,"sku":"CE-A017-006","price":180.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0985\/2262\/8372\/files\/Product-98.jpg?v=1780008086"},{"product_id":"bud-vase-1","title":"Long-Neck Pleated Bud Vase","description":"\u003cp\u003eA rounded body stretches into a remarkably slender neck, while widely spaced pleats travel upward with the curve of the porcelain. The elongated proportion naturally draws the eye vertically, whether holding a single stem or standing quietly among other objects.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFeatures\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe vase begins as a solid block of plaster, which is carved by hand to establish the original form. Working this way allows the relationship between the rounded body, long neck and widely spaced pleats to be adjusted gradually before a mold is ever made.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSlip casting has traditionally been associated with repeatable ceramic production. Wakasugi uses its precision for a different purpose, pursuing sculptural forms that would be difficult to achieve on the pottery wheel. The unusually slender neck and controlled transition into the fuller body show what this approach makes possible.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith little surface decoration to compete for attention, much of the vase’s character comes from proportion itself. The broad lower body, narrow neck and vertical pleats work together to create a silhouette that changes noticeably as it is viewed from different angles.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaterial: White Porcelain\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDimensions: Ø 9 × H 16 cm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpening: Ø 1.8 cm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eArtist: Seiko Wakasugi\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHandcrafted\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLimited\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMade in Japan\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Seiko Wakasugi","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52554642948372,"sku":"CE-A017-003","price":300.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0985\/2262\/8372\/files\/Product-97.jpg?v=1780008143"},{"product_id":"bud-vase-2","title":"Pleated Bud Vase","description":"\u003cp\u003eClosely spaced pleats wrap around the vase’s low, rounded form, gathering gradually toward its small opening. In pure white, the narrow ridges catch even subtle changes in daylight, shifting between brightness and shadow as you move around it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIts compact proportion makes even a single slender stem feel considered, bringing a small touch of the season to a shelf or quiet corner.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFeatures\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe closely spaced pleats begin in plaster, not on the finished porcelain. The original form is carved by hand before a mold is made and the shape is translated into porcelain through slip casting. Resolving so many narrow ridges at this early stage requires careful control of their spacing and the way they converge toward the opening.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWakasugi was drawn to slip casting partly because it gives her time to search for a form gradually. Rather than allowing the speed and rotation of a pottery wheel to determine the shape, she can work directly with the plaster original, adjusting proportion and detail before casting begins.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWakasugi has described white as a colour that allows form to be seen most clearly. Here, the absence of decorative colour brings the closely spaced pleats forward, with daylight continually revealing small shifts between ridge and shadow.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaterial: White Porcelain\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDimensions: Ø 11.5 × H 12 cm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpening: Ø 1.5 cm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eArtist: Seiko Wakasugi\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHandcrafted\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLimited\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMade in Japan\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Seiko Wakasugi","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52554643407124,"sku":"CE-A017-002","price":220.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0985\/2262\/8372\/files\/Product-96.jpg?v=1780008210"},{"product_id":"bud-vase-wall-mount","title":"Petal Wall Bud Vase","description":"\u003cp\u003eA single stem is enough for this small wall vase. Its rounded body opens into petal-like folds, allowing a flower or clipped branch to become part of the wall rather than something placed on a table.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEven left empty, the sculptural form has a quiet presence of its own. With something freshly gathered from the garden, it offers an easy way to notice small seasonal changes at home.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFeatures\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEach form begins with a solid block of plaster, slowly carved and refined by hand before a mold is made. This deliberate process allows the soft curves and precise folds to be resolved before the porcelain is ever cast.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSlip casting has long been associated with repeatable ceramic production. Wakasugi uses the technique differently, creating carefully controlled forms that would be difficult to achieve on a pottery wheel.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe restrained white porcelain leaves little to distract from the shape itself. Light and shadow reveal the subtle transitions between its rounded body and petal-like folds.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaterial: White Porcelain\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDimensions: W 7 × D 6.5 × H 13 cm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eArtist: Seiko Wakasugi\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHandcrafted\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLimited\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMade in Japan\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Seiko Wakasugi","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52554644095252,"sku":"CE-A017-001","price":190.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0985\/2262\/8372\/files\/Product-95.jpg?v=1780008256"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0985\/2262\/8372\/collections\/Product-1_458742a8-4eaa-488f-a689-68b86b691c02.jpg?v=1780007643","url":"https:\/\/mizuspace.com\/collections\/seiko-wakasugi.oembed","provider":"Mizu Space","version":"1.0","type":"link"}