Hamanaka Gesson

1943 Born in Kishiwada City, Osaka
1961 Commenced his career as a potter
1969 Built his own kiln in southern Hagi and named it Ōya Gama (Kiln)
1971 Took the artistic name of “Gesson”

Multi-Media:

2000 Introduction of Ōya Gama in NHK Television Documentary Series titled
“Yakimono-Tanbou”
2002 Hamanaka Gesson in “101 Contemporary Ceramists of Tea Pottery and
History”’ produced by the Japan Broadcasting Corporation

Born 1943, Kishiwada City, Osaka, Japan

Born to a Hagi family of doctors, HAMANAKA GESSON returned to his family’s village in his teens to begin his career in ceramics. After apprenticing with Yoshiga Taibi, he built his own kiln in 1969 and later adopted the artistic name Gesson, meaning “moon village.”

Hamanaka believes that local clays should be used only to create works that reflect that region’s style. In order to maintain the integrity of the works as well as allow for creative freedom, he began experimenting with a mixture of local styles to create his own unique forms and glazes. His experiments with hybrid Hagi works, such as the use of Shigaraki clay and Oribe glaze, have earned him worldwide acclaim.