Yuki Hayama

In this video, we visit Yuki Hayama at his Saga Prefecture atelier for an in-depth look at the creation process of his intricate porcelain paintings. Beginning with the first step, design, Yuki Hayama researches the history behind each pattern while taking into account how it would be integrated into his piece. Next, he makes a glaze by grinding zaffer until powder is formed, patiently kneading the powder and adding water drop by drop. Then, he dives into Etsuke (painting.) Hayama has 128 patterns of flowers memorized photographically. Painting without any form of sketching while being mindful of the overall balance of color, each piece is completed in painted layers and fired in the kiln up to 12 times until completion.