MOTOMU KUSUNOKI　楠求

Ceramic artist Motomu Kusunoki was born into a family that runs a Buddhist temple. Perhaps influenced by his father, handmade ceramics by individual artists were used in daily life alongside mass-produced tableware, and visits to potters’ studios were part of his childhood.He enrolled in a design vocational school, yet gradually realized that working with his hands suited him better than sitting in front of a computer. Carrying doubts and uncertainty about his path, he began visiting galleries and listening to Buddhist sermons.
During this period, he encountered the story of a foreigner who had converted to Jōdo Shinshū Buddhism. The convert described the teaching as a way of living rooted in the earth — walking alongside others while remaining oneself. These words resonated deeply with Kusunoki, bringing renewed awareness to sensations he had intuitively felt since childhood.Clay — something close to human life, something that lives with us in the everyday yet at times embodies a refined artistic presence. Its dual nature connected profoundly within him: early tactile memories of earth, Buddhist teachings, and the intrinsic appeal of ceramics. Later, while visiting galleries and studios, he learned of the Tajimi City Pottery Design and Technical Center in Gifu. This discovery opened the path toward becoming a ceramic artist.

A flower vessel whose surface shimmers with silver particles. Slip-cast vessels traced with delicate raised lines. Small Buddha figures formed by hand-building. Kusunoki’s works span a remarkable range of styles and techniques. Alongside his artistic practice, he works for a company specializing in ceramic materials, giving him extensive knowledge of raw materials and their handling. This background informs the richness of materials and processes found in his work.
Kusunoki says that ceramics inevitably reveal the way one lives. In the contemporary art world, concept and context are often foregrounded, and a clearly defined artistic identity is emphasized. Ceramics, by contrast, allows for greater freedom and multiplicity. People have many facets, and life unfolds in many stages. “He makes work like this as well?” “His earlier style was so different.” — Such shifts are part of what makes ceramics compelling. One’s life and character are projected into the work. Through the diversity of Kusunoki’s practice, we sense the depth and complexity of the human condition itself.

Since his student days in design, Kusunoki has continued to fill sketchbooks with forms he wishes to create and spontaneous drawings that later become sources of inspiration. Music, books, and encountering other artists’ works in galleries are essential inputs for him. He is not drawn to works with excessive elements. What he values in his making is yohaku. Even in hand-built pieces, he tries to leave as little trace of his own hand as possible. Having been born into a temple family and raised close to Buddhist teachings, Buddha-nature forms part of his identity and serves as a backbone to his practice. Buddhism and Japanese culture are inseparable; the Japanese aesthetic sensibilities of ma and yohaku may unconsciously emerge in his work. Looking ahead, he hopes to sublimate this sense of Buddha-nature beyond the figurative form of Buddhist statues into more abstract expressions. Each time one quietly reaches for his work in daily life, it offers a moment of still reflection.