TERUNOBU HIRATA • CERAMICIST
MELBOURNE • AUSTRALIA

Born in Osaka, Japan, Terunobu Hirata arrived in Australia in 1973 and is now based in Melbourne.

Originally trained as a chef, he moved to pottery 25 years ago, working in stoneware and porcelain.

His designs are bold and contemporary with lustrous glazes. A nod to the past with organic style glazing partnered with perfectly proportioned shapes, Hirata’s work is a joy to live with. 

Inspired by Bizen's features of simplicity, reflected in dark and subdued colours, he uses a dark body clay available in Australia. He applies a method of transferring the tracing of fire onto the face of pottery using ash and straw glazes, although glazes are not used in Bizen ware.

WORK @ DEA