What is 
Kurinuki ?

Kurinuki is a Japanese term for the traditional handbuilding technique of hollowing out a solid block of clay to create an interior vessel, such as a tea cup or yunomi as it's called in Japanese.

Kurinuki literally means 'to hollow' or 'to carve out'.  

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The process involves a steady sculptural approach that relies somewhat on intuition when making the cuts and marks on the exterior, followed by the hollowing out layer by layer of the interior until the maker feels the walls of the vessel are thin but sufficiently strong. In kurinuki the interior is as important as the exterior. 

As with all the traditional techniques i am interested in, kurinuki invokes the concept of wabi-sabi, beauty in imperfection and the meditative way the final piece unveils itself. 

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It is a wonderful way to experiment with clay as aesthetically there are no right or wrong results regarding the finished piece. A beginner can create a sculptural vessel that may not be technically perfect but is still a beautiful object they can be proud of.

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Every piece is unique and no two pieces can ever be mirrored or made alike.

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Commissions welcome.