Hand sculpted and flawlessly designed, Hakusan’s porcelain is iconic in both its form and history. The company’s legacy began over eight generations ago in a small factory based in Hanami, Nagasaki.
The traditional porcelain manufacturer made its name in 1956 by employing designer Mori Masahiro (1927-2005) in 1956. The innovative partnership merged craftsmanship with design, pioneering a new approach to the creative process. Mori was a trained industrial designer and specialised ceramicist. After graduating from the Tama University of Arts in Tokyo, he joined Hakusan and went on to revolutionise porcelain homewear in Japan and abroad. His G-type Soy Sauce Bottle won a Good Design prize in 1960 and his creations for the company continued to influence ceramicists for generations to come.
Mori’s vision of simple, lifestyle products came to define the Hakusan brand as practical and intuitive. Even though he left the company in 1978, Hakusan continued to produce his work. Possibly one of the company’s most beautiful creations were humble mugs now known as ‘Fancy Cups’. These were designed for the blind, and feature groove patterns that mirror the grasp of a human hand. Hakusan’s more recent foray into the creation of collectible porcelain animals such as cats, birds and other seriously cute critters ensure that its legacy will remain both innovative and relevant to yet another generation.
Hakusan has a store on Omotesando Dori, Tokyo and is available in Australia through Via Alley.
Weird! I have a short film called Big in Japan, also from Sydney, it’s about something I created to be “big in Japan”.
Comment by Andrew Morgan — July 8, 2009 @ 8:41 amI was considering getting a website for the short, you don’t have to feature it, nor should you. But, here’s what I think WILL be big in Japan…actually probably not…
http://www.vimeo.com/3531442