子供の頃から作ったり描いたりすることが好きだった。
近くに山があり探検もよくした。
そんな子供の日々を過ごした。
それが今の自分をつくったと思っている。
作品をつくることは自分をつくること。
いろんな人との出逢いをつくってくれている作品に感謝している。
Since childhood, I have loved to create and draw.
I often explored the mountains nearby:
Such were the peaceful days of my childhood.
I think that is what made me who I am today.
Creating artwork is creating myself.
I am grateful to my artistic practice for allowing me to meet all kinds of people.
Born in 1958 and based in Aichi, Kim Hono is an artist, potter, and craftsman whose ceramic creations are appreciated for their expressions of pictorial decoration and contemporary taste. Kim’s ceramic artworks serve as a vibrant tribute to the simple joys of daily life.
When embarking on a new exhibition or theme, Kim's creative journey begins with a blank canvas of possibilities. Ideas sprout in the recesses of his mind, sometimes taking root slowly, and other times bursting forth in a rush of inspiration. He acknowledges the challenges that arise when images refuse to materialize effortlessly. Yet, he's learned that creativity often emerges unexpectedly, like a hidden gem found in the pages of a magazine or a few lines of a note left by a family member. When inspiration strikes, he captures it swiftly in his sketchbook, using markers and colored pencils as his trusted allies. His hands follow his heart and translate the initial spark of an idea into tangible form.
For Kim, the essence of artistic value lies in the intricate fusion of graffiti and pencil drawings as decorative elements. These drawings, often the artist's first connection to an idea, evoke a sense of nostalgia reminiscent of childhood. They embody the pure delight of bringing vivid images from one's imagination to life, expressed through the tactile medium of paper and pencil.
Kim's final ceramic vessels are a celebration of life. They capture that same tactile quality born from paper and pencil, but through the clay form and surface. These objects not only boast a distinctive quality that explores form in a profoundly unique manner, but they also often dazzle with bold and artistic colors. His skill in crafting these pieces is exceptionally rare, resulting in vessels that both astonish and delight the viewer. Some of his works feature tenderly colored clay surfaces left unglazed, preserving a soft, matte texture that speaks to the inherent nature of the clay. Others invite viewers with a glossy, transparent glaze applied over meticulously painted iron on the ceramic surface, creating a mesmerizing interplay of texture and color. Kim Hono's ceramics encapsulate the pure essence of artistic innovation and a celebration of life itself.
His playful works also seek to elevate craftsmanship to bring in elements of high art. His iron-brushwork on raw, unglazed surfaces evokes the styles of Joan Miro, Man Ray, and Wassily Kandinsky. He seeks to bring out the beauty in daily wares and life: a Mingei spirit inherent to many contemporary potters in Japan today.