Centre

Today I went to a chasen (bamboo tea whisk) making demonstration at Cha Ology in Manchester - truly one of my favourite places on earth. We watched the legendary 20th generation chasen master Tango Tanimura as he took us through each stage of chasen making. To say he made this delicate task look easy would be an understatement.

When asked about how he remains focused, Tango sensei told us that to make chasen, your emotions must remain even. It got me thinking about my own craft, I’ve always thought that each piece has a little part of your artistic soul inside. It’s part of what makes sharing your work so scary, but I think it’s a good thing, arguably a vital part of making art.

Tango sensei’s words stuck with me through the day. It’s true that if you’re not centred, the clay can’t be; you’ll make mistakes. You pull uneven walls, you trim bases too thin. You fire that bowl you’re not happy with even though you know you shouldn’t.

I’ve become better at recognising when this disconnect between my work and my mentality is present, and learnt to step away from the wheel. But perhaps a change is needed. Tango sensei told us that because he has to stay so calm and focused when making chasen, it’s made him a calmer person. I’d like to be able to say something similar about myself in 20 years time.

So maybe this is a nice little reminder to practice what is probably the most valuable and underrated skill in ceramics: patience. With the clay, and with yourself.