Utensils are the vehicles of our life; vessels through which the moments of our day— meals, coffee or tea—find expression. They reflect an inner dialogue between ourselves and our lives. Their gradual aging highlights the reality of time’s trajectory and gives us a sense of life keenly grounded in the continual experience of the present.

Utensils to share our lives are what make Tetsuya Otani’s work so special. His work is a return to a primitive essence with “application” the creative genesis that cleaves it to the rhythms of our daily lives. With its unpretentious bearing and texture, his work becomes the pure functioning of everyday life.  

The rhythm continued in whiteness of Otani’s work is one of purity and etherealness, yet each piece also offers a sense of warmth and tranquility. There is only clay: no extra gloss or glaze, no unnecessary appendages. Yet in this simplicity is concealed thoughtfully placed curves and lines, an artist’s nod to the sensible. And thus, slowly and without unnecessary furor, Ontani’s work seamlessly integrates itself into our lives.

There is much here that is akin to the message of Vima House: “Sometimes it is putting on simple, flowing cotton clothing, and allowing your world to slow down as the colors of the four seasons become the colors of your life. Sometimes it is drinking coffee and seeing within your cup clouds floating over the snow-capped mountains of Nepal and feeling the preciousness of each breath. Sometimes it is enjoying a painting and observing the flow of life.” 

“In the midst of life” is the unfolding of our lives, where the true root can be found. Utensils slowly stain over their lifetime; the more they are used, the deeper they touch us. They serve as an encapsulation of life’s unfolding moments—both in the world and our hearts.