Yama-chan, what’s a typical day like for you?

When I have time, I’m usually at my studio.

What time do you usually wake up in the morning?

Around 6 am. I make my kids’ lunch.

Do you have a rice cooker?

I cook rice in a pot. I also make breakfast for my wife.

So you handle the housework. Do you go to the university every day?

I try to do what I can. I teach two classes per semester. With occasional faculty meetings and meetings with graduate students, I’m on campus 2–3 days a week.

Sounds like a good setup. Where is your studio located?

There’s a space that the university provides. Kind of like a lab, just like scientist have.

Where do you get the materials for your work?

It comes from various places. Financial resources often come from university grants. Occasionally, I receive funding from outside sources as well.

So you get funding by applying.

Oh, Akeem! Speaking of which, Yama-chan, didn’t you get support from Tiffany Foundation, too? What about now?

The Guggenheim Fellowship in 2023 was a big one. It provided significant support for my work.

You brought about ten students to Japan this time as part of your educational program and visited Kyoto, right? What’s your usual class schedule like?

Yes, this time I traveled in Japan for three weeks with students as part of a global seminar, which is a three-credit course. We visited many places and had an incredible experience.
Typically, I teach two classes on campus per semester. Each class meets twice a week for 2.5 hours. The morning class runs from 9:05 a.m. to 11:35 a.m., and the afternoon class from 1:25 p.m. to 3:55 p.m. Usually, the morning session is for beginners, while the afternoon is for intermediate and advanced students.

Do you teach ceramic? Or painting?

My background is in ceramics, and I was primarily hired for ceramics, so I teach ceramics. For graduate students, the program is more interdisciplinary and multimedia-based, so we discuss ideas, approaches, and so on.

Do you think more people want to learn ceramics now than before?

Ceramics has always been popular, at least at the beginner level

So your classes end at 3:55 pm, do you go straight home or go back to the faculty office?

It depends. Sometimes I meet with graduate students, sometimes there are meetings, or I go home.

What about on days with no classes?

I go to the studio in the morning.

Apparently, writer Taichi Yamada and manga artist Fujiko F. Fujio both stuck to a 9-to-5 routine even though they could have worked anytime they wanted, just to stay in sync with society.

Sometimes that’s how it goes, too.

Do you have a creative routine?

It depends on what I’m working on, but I avoid going to the atelier with nothing to do, so I always try to plan for the next move.

What’s your process to complete the work? It may be different each piece but how did you make this ceramic skatepark?

When I had a solo exhibition at Hair and Nails Gallery in Minneapolis, I wanted to create a show that drew on my experience with skateboarding, which was the starting point.

Did you have that idea from the start? Or did it come while working with clay?

It depends, but usually I start with sketches to get my mind going. Sometimes I make small models first, then move on to making larger ones. With more complex pieces, planning the process becomes important.

土にこだわりはある？

To some degree, but compared to those who are really obsessed, not so much. Though when it comes down to it, I guess I do get particular.

Clay is different in Japan and the U.S., right?

Traditionally, in Japan, clay was often sourced locally. Depending on the region, some clays lack good plasticity, which naturally influences the character of the objects. These days, clay is frequently blended. For example, I’ve heard that in Mashiko, it's become difficult to dig for clay due to urban development. So they often mix the clay brought from Shigaraki.

What about the U.S.?

Mostly blended. There is much more control to gain the plasticity, for example.

Is science or technology? Or is it more organic?

Blending is fundamentally backed by science.

Clay is part of the earth, right? Do you feel the earth when you work?

That’s an important concept.

It takes 100 years to build up 1 cm of topsoil, it’s crazy.

Clay is gathered and transformed through various weathering and water processes.

In parts of Africa, it can take 1,000 years for just 1 cm. Clay is like the skin on the Earth, and you are shaping this precious thing with your hands.

Once fired, clay never returns to its original state. It becomes something close to glass. That’s why we still find clay artifacts dating back 15,000 years. Iron and bronze corrode, but ceramics don’t, so they can last millennia.

That’s why we find ancient pottery.

Yama-chan’s skatepark piece will outlast us.

It’s timeless. Because it will last tens of thousands of years, I often say to my students, If the Earth and humanity still exist, what would humans tens of thousands of years from now think when they see this? That’s what we are creating.

Do you choose materials based on what you want to express?

Yes, that’s right. Sometimes it’s physical desire, like wanting to touch clay or paint with a brush, and other times it begins with an idea. Physical materials and time both play a role. For example, during summer break, there’s more time, so I can take on projects that require a longer process. But when school is in session, the time is fragmented.

What’s most important when teaching students?

Understanding each student’s human nature and figuring out how to support them based on that. Not a one-way approach like the old Japanese education, I try to help them find even the smallest moments of confidence to build off of. If they can gain little bits of confidence throughout the semester, by the end, you can really see how much they’ve grown.

You are a great teacher. What about your own daughters?

When you see them every day, it’s not so easy. With students, there’s more distance, which helps with the approach. But I try my best within my capabilities. These days, there’s so much emphasis on success, and young people don’t know how to deal with failure, and lose confidence easily, so I try to listen and encourage them. Understanding each person’s unique individuality is important.

You even listen to their inner voices.

I’m most interested in human nature. Ultimately, I want to nurture their humanity. That’s where my deepest interest lies.