Hugh Sato
Artist Hugh Sato (b. Chicago, 1991) strives to create contemporary vessels with a foot in the traditional forms of ancient Japanese pottery.
Hugh Sato’s mother, herself an artist, had a keen eye for aesthetically pleasing and purposeful pottery. Yunomi tea cups were always prevalent during Sato’s childhood, so it’s no surprise the forms have sprung up in his newest discipline - pottery. The cups, which are small cylindrical vessels, originated in Japan and function as the perfect vessels to sip tea from. The form fits snuggly in the hand, and warms them on a chilly day. Sato’s wheel thrown Yunomi-style cups have well crafted feet, rims, thickness and surface design. You can tell the artist tests his pieces for comfortable hand feel and usability.
Hugh Sato with a piece inspired by ancient Jomon pottery mixed with modern sensibilities
Sato's cat "Hobbes" enjoying fresh water from his fancy hand-thrown bowl!
Museums featuring ancient Japanese pottery captivate Sato now as well as when he was a child. Exhibitions of Jomon pottery drew him in the most. The vessels, featuring swirling lines and crests made with coils, were first produced in Japan in 13000 BCE (around current day Nagano). Sato has been experimenting with similar surface treatments, carefully pushing long coils into maze-like designs. The artist likes to keep a foot in the present, and ends up adding modern elements to create stark contrasts and visually restful areas.
Sato studied New Media at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and graduated in 2013. The interactive digital work he studied there was a challenge, and lead to work in the design field. Sato is the principal designer at 8th Light in Chicago, an international software consultancy. He combines his deep empathy with users and his expertise in technology to connect with them. The creation of software, websites and dashboards have all received his creative touch.
Sato has always been able to find an artistic thread through all of his work. Two years ago, he found himself thinking about returning to wheel throwing (after almost a decade after his last class). He found his way to LSPS-LC and has been there religiously each week for 3-4 hour sessions.
Wheel-thrown vessels, needle tool used for the thin ring design
Sato describes himself as obsessed with lidded vessels. The combination of good engineering and creative expression keeps him coming back to the 2-piece sets. Not only are they fun for him to create, but they’ve become useful in his home life. Garden grown cucumbers have been used in his fermentation vessels (with deep lip to seal it from air) to create snack pickles. Smaller bowls host garlic, and his beautiful tea bowls (that look ready for a fancy tea ceremony) serve as water dishes for his cat Hobbes!
Wabi-sabi vessels, one of the many series Sato continues to explore
Sato oscillates between very exacting forms with precise finishes, to more wabi-sabi pieces that almost form themselves under his hand. The more finished work is carefully treated with planned out surface hues and designs. The looser pieces are a combination of wheel thrown vessels and slabs. Going back and forth between the techniques lets the artist think outside the box and come up with original forms. Craggy surfaces and negative spaces created by holes and tears make unusual compositions on each side.
Twisted ribbon "handles" from Sato's vessel trimmings
Sato is open to inspiration, in whatever form it takes. Twisted trimmings from his wheel pieces gave him one such “idea moment.” When these “ribbons” are applied to the lids of his vessels, they become a focal point that keeps the eye constantly moving over the piece. The playful forms offset the more traditional shapes they are melded with, creating a nice juxtaposition of the neat and beautifully unpredictable. Instagram, art history and creative accidents all play a big part in Sato’s ever-evolving series. Tutorials on Insta featuring techniques, glazing and distinctive designs spark his own jump-offs. The artist is fascinated with vessels imprinted by people’s bodies. The results of the indentations appear dynamic, but also hint at a deep intimacy of skin on clay. Sato would love to explore something similarly powerful in his own pieces.
Sato sees his process as a journey into his own history, which channels directly into his pottery. He isn’t chasing sales or trying to commodify his pieces. Instead he revels in new ideas. Distinctive designs as well as duets between old and new keep him interested and ambitious. The artist truly enjoys gifting his work to those connected to him, and above all, following the pure process of his inspirations- which then take form organically.
Article and images by Mieke Zuiderweg