Nozomu Shinohara is a Shigareki based ceramist who grew up in a family unfamiliar with making and traditional craft. It was on a TV, of all places, that he discovered a ceramics program at Shigareki Ceramic Cultural Park and decided to pursue going. It was there where he met his long time mentor Nobuo Furutani, whom he credits for teaching him not only ceramics but ways to live outside of the comfort and ease of a city. He began to use an anagama kiln and Shigareki clay to develop his methodology which is to first consider what will highlight the soil that makes the clay and then begin making. Each piece he makes, he uses a different type of clay and the clay is what dictates what it will become. When it comes to firing, his anagama kiln is smaller than average kiln and more highly reflects the relationship between the wood and ashes. It’s a difficult process and can be highly temperamental but Shinohara has developed his process over many years of firing.
Although he has learned a lot in over ten years of working this way, his love of fun and experimentation have not ended. Presently, he is constantly pursuing new ideas and ways of doing things simply because he loves to seek out the challenge. His work has been exhibited internationally and he continues to travel, give seminars, and experiment with clay.