Naoko Sano

'Perfectly Imperfect': Sano Naoko (1959)

Sano Naoko was born and raised in Kyoto and now lives and works in London. Kyoto is a city built on the foundation of tradition and the craft of ceramics is a honed art form that has been practiced in the area for generations. 

Sano began learning ceramics in Singapore in 1999 and continued after moving to London in 2000. Whenever she visits Japan, she learns from local ceramists in Bizen, Okayama and Kiyomizu in Kyoto. Sano has found her own style in her ceramics. Her matcha bowls have an earthy, warm feeling with soft and irregular shapes. She prays to the kiln gods before every batch goes into the kiln, which has been advantageous for the end results.