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Bold organic forms and beautiful colours are some of the outstanding features of ceramics by up-and-coming artist Kazumi Harnett. Having graduated only two years ago, Japanese born ceramicist Kazumi has already come a long way and she will be showing her unique sculptural ceramic vessels in June at her Otford studio in Kent as a part of South East Open Studios.

Kazumi specialises in making thrown and altered vessels, which requires immediate responses to the material. Inspired by landscape the forms are manipulated to capture the movement, softness and fluidity of wet clay leaving marks and textures on the surface which preserve moments from the making process. Using coarse stoneware clay, some of the marks and textures are strong and bold and others subtle and fragile, enhancing both the tactile and visual qualities of her pieces. Sensual glazes are then applied. “Playing with the material really excites me and sometimes reveals surprising results which I try to combine into my work to bring out spontaneous and playful elements” says Kazumi. 

Although fairly new to ceramics, with only 6 years experience, a connection with clay goes back to her upbringing. She says “For me clay and soil are closely related. One of my earliest memories of soil comes from the environment where I grew up.” Born and raised in a very rural part of Japan, surrounded by mountain ranges, her childhood playground was the agricultural fields and lands that her parents worked. She says “From childhood I was aware that soil played a significant role for my family in making a living from nature. For me working clay is almost like going back to the way I was brought up in Japan.”

This rural upbringing has been a big influence on her work, which draws inspiration from landscape elements such as the rhythms and curves of hills, the textures and patterns of agricultural land and colours of the sky. The environment in Otford near Sevenoaks where she has lived for the last 5 years has lots of similarities with her home town in Japan.

Since her first successful Open Studios participation last year she has exhibited nationally. Her work has been featured in magazines and papers such as Evening Standard. More recently she has been awarded the distinction of Licentiate member by Society of Designer Craftsmen. For more information about her work visit www.kazumiharnett.co.uk