BIO
Kanako Sahashi grew up with parents who were collectors of antiques and ceramics in Japan. While working for a non-profit organization where creators gathered, she developed a strong admiration for people who create things. She learned about a pottery technique called “Nerikomi” during her busy life. She was fascinated by the method and got the urge to make Nerikomi vessels herself. After moving to Kenya, she had her first opportunity to work with clay.
She learned the ceramics basics for a few months at the Kenyan potter Waithira Chege’s studio. Then, She began to teach herself how to make vessels using the “Nerikomi” technique, which she had longed to do. Currently, she creates Nerikomi ceramics at her small home studio in Nairobi, Kenya, from making clay with local Kenyan soil to firing.
Artist Statement
I am drawn to the nerikomi technique, where human intention coexists with the subtle fluctuations of clay. The time-intensive process of building patterns layer by layer recalls my childhood, when I spent long hours immersed in soil and plants.
I make my own clay from soil collected at the foot of Mount Kenya and create vessels that highlight its natural colour and texture. While the material carries a strong sense of place, I intentionally introduce patterns through the nerikomi technique, creating a quiet tension between the natural and the artificial.
My inspiration comes from everyday scenery in Kenya, where nature and human-made elements overlap seamlessly—ivy creeping over old tiles, iron doors softened by plants, or geometric clothing patterns moving through the street. These observations are translated into patterns, colours, and forms, guided by an imagination of how the vessels might live in the rooms of someone dear to me.
Since beginning my practice in 2019, I have been working from my home studio in Nairobi. I aim to create functional vessels that feel calm yet dynamic, and that can travel across borders to become part of someone’s daily life.