Special Handling Pottery
Phone: (650) 321-8188 Fax: (650) 326-0365
Email: frankjoy@aol.com
Joy Hana Imai has been
a Bay Area studio potter since 1970. Her studio at Allied Arts
Guild is way back by the old barn in a historic building that
once was the sheep shed. Here she throws pots on the wheel, glazes,
fires, and displays her work for sale. Currently she's making pottery in the ancient Japanese Raku tradition. She takes each pot out of the kiln while it's red-hot and places it in a barrel with combustible material.
The resulting fire,
smoke and cooling cause the characteristic crazed and iridescent
glaze that gives her work a spontaneous and dramatic look. Her
unique pieces include small flat dishes for floating flowers
glazed with emerald green, blue, and copper, suggesting tiny
river pools. Bowls painted with ginkgo leaves and wind-blown
grasses contribute to an overall look that is tropical and Asian,
reflecting her Japanese and Hawaiian heritage. Joy is an exhibiting member of the Association of California Ceramic and Glass Artists.