My work starts with digging. I find and use clay from all over Japan. It’s not a matter of clay from here or there being good or bad, as every place has its own character, its own unique qualities. I touch, learn, and play with the clay to understand the best way to form and fire each type.Even though I am immersed in Japanese culture every day, it’s not all I see. I also admire Southeast Asian creations and yearn to work with clay from the African continent.I mix inspiration from different cultures in my work but throw as a Japanese person.New, old, domestic, foreign – I enjoy trying to work with and move freely among all styles and create ceramics that are all my own. - Masahiko Yamamoto