Moon jar. 
 

Moon jar. 
 

Biography

Akiko Hirai was born in 1970 in Shizaoka, Japan. She studied ceramics at the University of Westminster and Central St Martins in London, graduating in 2003. After her graduation Akiko established herself as an independent potter at her studio in London. In 2005 she taught ceramics and became head of department at Kensington and Chelsea College in London and is fast becoming one of the foremost potters in the UK.

She uses Japanese pottery techniques to create contemporary decorative artworks and tableware. Akiko’s forms are satisfyingly simple with deeply textured surfaces and serene, calm colours. Her Japanese cultural background and aesthetics, British training and contemporary design, all strongly influence her ceramic pieces.