Akae hosoge, or red enamel fine painting, is a technique of Kutaniyaki that has been used since the Edo period (1603-1868) in Ishikawa Prefecture. This is an overglaze painting technique of Kutaniyaki that has been used since the Edo period in Ishikawa Prefecture, and the world created by advanced craftsmanship is unintentionally fascinating.

Maki Taneda makes her red-painted fine-painted vessels at the Teizangama Kiln, a cooperative studio located in a residential area of Imakumano, where pottery studios have been dotted for centuries. Rather than the gravity of traditional techniques, Ms. Taneda's works have a somewhat dainty atmosphere that is familiar to the viewer.

Mr. Taneda is from Gifu Prefecture and has a unique background, having worked at a department store in Nagoya after graduating from university. His first inspiration to become the ceramic artist he is today was a trip to Kyoto.
When I was developing a desire to learn a craft, I happened to visit the Kyoto Traditional Crafts Museum and learned that there was a school where one could study crafts. So a few years later, I quit my job, moved to Kyoto, and enrolled in the Kyoto Traditional Crafts University," says Taneda. His first encounter with akae hosogaki was in a design class at the school. The patterns on the pieces looked so cute, and it was love at first sight," he says. I went to a kiln in Ishikawa Prefecture and apprenticed myself to Yoshitake Yamamoto, a master of the akae hosoge tradition, to learn the technique.

After five years of training, Mr. Taneda became independent. After returning to Kyoto, he joined Teizangama Kiln, the current joint studio, through a chance encounter. Using a red pigment containing iron called bengara, he draws lines thinner than a human hair with an ultra-fine brush at intervals of less than a millimeter, which is nothing short of magnificent.

Many of the pieces in the akae hosogaki line, such as incense burners and decorative platters, are not suitable for everyday use, but my goal is to create vessels that can be used in everyday life. I would be happy if people think it is cute," says Taneda. She is conscious of designs that suit modern life, adding her own unique twist to classic patterns and making use of the blank spaces without overdrawing. Her signature flower and snow patterns, which are created by combining straight and curved lines, have a warmth that only hand-painting can bring to the finished beauty of her work.

It is difficult for people who see akae hosoge for the first time to understand the difference in style, and it is difficult to show their individuality," he says. But I hope they will understand that this pattern is my work," she says. Ms. Taneda's works are characterized by many small plates and beanbags, and she emphasizes cuteness and ease of use even in terms of size, attracting the younger generation, especially women.

Currently, Taneda is energetically refining his technique of fine red-painting while holding solo and group exhibitions several times a year.
This year, I have an exhibition scheduled at an arts and crafts salon in a department store, and I would like to focus on large, one-of-a-kind pieces. I hope to broaden the range of my subject matter, such as painting dragons in addition to cute patterns.

My goal is to have my own workshop someday. I am not sure yet whether it will be in Kyoto or in Gifu, where my parents live, but I would like to continue to work on pieces that reflect my own personality. Fans of Taneda's work will be looking forward to his next development.

Teizangama Kiln was founded by the founder of the Maeda Domain's official kiln for Kutani-yaki pottery. The current head of the kiln, Jun Kawajiri, is the fourth generation in Kyoto, and his contemporary works that express a uniquely Japanese aesthetic are attracting attention. He presides over a joint kiln, to which Maki Taneda has belonged since 2013. The group includes Japanese, Chinese, Mexican, and other multinational artists with a variety of styles. Jun Kawajiri also offers pottery classes.

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