The Spring Summer 2023 Lookbook features the story of a pottery artist who uses boundary-breaking techniques to create new connections among creators.
Living without Boundaries
- Online and offline,
- Everyday routines and extraordinary experiences,
- Work and play from generation to generation,
- Culture to culture,
- Nature and town,
- Rural and urban,
- Wild and cultured.
- Maybe there are no boundaries.
- The boundary that separates them doesn't exist.
- To find a life that suits you and
- To find your happiness,
- Embrace outdoor living.
Yusuke Kido, the owner of the pottery brand ONE KILN, creates pottery every day at his home workshop located in a residential area of Kagoshima City, Japan.
Kido used to work as a designer in Tokyo, but since his time as a student, he has been intrigued by pottery due to his passion for making things with his hands. The pottery world is extremely difficult to squeeze into, but he was taken up to a Japan Arita pottery kiln by an acquaintance. While working in the factory, he used his days off to visit craftsmen with various discernible skills. Finally, he equipped himself with the right self-taught techniques to open his own workshop. He established ONE KILN in his hometown, not far from his childhood home.
He developed new unique techniques and exploration- for instance, he digs all the soil by himself, marking the latitude and longitude, and uses the volcanic ash from the nearby Sakurajima for his glazes. Using these materials allows him to clearly identify the exact location where each creation originated.
Kido centers his work around the design concept of "for all people." This focus inspires the simple, easy-to-handle shapes of his pottery products. You can experience the connections each piece creates – from the ingredient producers to the chefs and everyone who enjoys his work around the table.
The kiln is where pottery is born, and at ONE KILN, creators come together to make pottery that crosses genre boundaries, just like when humans connect around an open fire while camping. Kido has been creating items for people, but what he is truly creating are organic connections and a welcoming community. 
