Since childhood, Haruka Mori has always had a passion for creating things with her own hands, whether through drawing or photography. In 2020, she began her ceramic art journey.
Ms. Mori says the source of her inspiration came from meeting her beloved cat, Zarame-chan. This encounter expanded the world of her work, which primarily features ceramic cat figures. She also adopted a second cat, Chimaki-chan, who was rescued from a multi-cat hoarding situation.
While seemingly coincidental, these encounters feel somewhat fated and gently support the roots of her current creative work.
From Haruka Mori's Instagram
Her works exude both mystery and warmth. The presence of her two black cats quietly breathes through them. Memories of their fleeting gestures and casual gazes seem to subtly reappear in new forms.
She previously worked as a camera assistant at a publishing company, but her desire to create things with her own hands, rather than just "take pictures," gradually grew stronger. When she touched clay during a pottery workshop, she naturally felt, "I want to make this my job," which led her to where she is today. It might have been the moment the slow, responsive feel of the clay in her hands resonated with her own sensibilities.
After that, she started creating independently. She gradually deepened her knowledge by ordering specialized books on glazes from library archives. The time spent waiting for the firing process, imagining unseen changes, also became an integral part of her creation process.
The journey to "encounter" the desired color is never purely accidental; it becomes more inevitable with each accumulated attempt.
The soft green that symbolizes her current work is also a color born from hundreds of trials and errors.
That color embodies layers of time, effort, and quiet exploration.
Her white and green-themed works evoke scenes from a fairy tale. The cats gazing gently and the vessels adorned with soft shadows possess a quiet presence, as if they know the rest of a long story. The gentleness felt when touching them also seems to be part of that narrative.
Particularly for items like mugs, she applies multiple layers of glaze to create subtle gradations and a sense of depth. The delicate and rich texture, which changes its appearance depending on the angle at which it is held, is also appealing, bringing a subtle change to everyday moments.
Having recently moved from Tokyo to Onomichi, a town she adores, she has just begun her creative work there. Amidst the serene landscape of sea and hills, the anticipation of what stories will unfold next is growing.
Haruka Mori's works are meticulously crafted with the wish that they "reach even 100 years into the future." They gently nestle into daily life, offering a quiet warmth.
You can find Haruka Mori's pottery here
