VK plate, L

VK plates by Iwatemo combine Finnish design with Japanese ceramic traditions. The plates are designed by Ville Kokkonen and made in Japan. Their distinctive design makes the porcelain plates great for serving food or as a part of home decor, for example for storing and displaying jewellery.

The ceramic plates are made by hand, on the potter’s wheel, in the Iwate prefecture in Japan. The material, soft white clay, comes from the Kyusyu island located in southern Japan, and natural wood ash is used as glaze according to centuries-old Japanese production methods. Iwatemo porcelain dishes are fired 1.5 times longer than usual in order to increase their durability.

Due to the traditional manufacturing methods, each individual plate will have unique marks and textures characteristic of hand-made ceramics. To emphasize this, the artisan has given the plate a slightly rough surface. It may also, for example, have horizontal lines that are created by larger particles of clay when the item is shaped on the potter’s wheel or dark spots that can form in the kiln when iron particles in the ash glaze react with oxygen. These unique textures and details make Iwatemo ceramics uniquely beautiful examples of traditional Japanese artisanship.

Ville Kokkonen

Iwatemo was established in 2016, when Finnish designers Ville Kokkonen and Harri Koskinen were invited to visit the Iwate prefecture in Japan, in order to get acquainted with the area’s traditional production methods. All Iwatemo products are produced in Iwate in collaboration with the Finnish designers and local artisans, using traditional techniques and materials typical of the area.

Iwate is located in northeastern Japan, where winters are cold and harsh. Traditionally, the local people have had time to refine their production methods during the cold winter months when agriculture has had to come to a halt. The methods have been passed down through many generations, and even today many techniques and materials used in the area date back centuries, for example in manufacturing of wooden furniture, ironware and handmade ceramics. The project offers a channel for the artisans to make their products known internationally. In 2020, Iwatemo was awarded the Good Design Award.