We’d been looking for a line of USA-made ceramics for some time when we came across the work of Nobuhito Nisigawara. As soon as we discovered his line of functional, casual ceramics, we knew our search was over.
Nishigawara designs and produces beautifully informal ceramics with a clean-lined, handmade aesthetic. This simply gorgeous look stems largely from his background: born in Nagoya, Japan, Nishigawara fuses the tradition of Japanese artisan ceramic production with his work as a contemporary artist and his formal education in North America.
The result: a show-stopping look for your everyday table.
If we weren’t already in love, what we learned next would have sealed the deal: every single object from this line is hand crafted in Nishigawara’s studio in Orange County, California. Which means that every piece is uniquely one of a kind.
“My inspiration is also what drives me to continue the tradition of handmade ceramics,” Nishigawara told us recently. “I am inspired by the Japanese Mingei movement, an arts and crafts movement that focused on creating objects by hand that are affordable with the intent to be used.”
“With my line, I focus on simplicity in design,” Nishigawara explained. “It’s important to me that the dinnerware does not visually overpower the food.”
Mission accomplished. But even so, we can’t help but call these pieces yummy.
