Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Masa Sasaki | Episode 488
Masayuki “Masa” Sasaki, is a classically trained artist, with multi-facetted interests. Masa is an accomplished pianist, award-winning painter, and uniquely stylistic potter. Since moving from his native Japan in the late 1980’s, Masa has impressed teachers, patrons, and his fellow artists with his unique sense of precision and artistic vision.
“We live in the world where we are surrounded by machine-made and mass-produced goods today. I feel, as a contemporary craftsman, the need to validate the value of handmade items by making things that could not be easily duplicated and unique to my own artistic perspective. For me it is not enough that a final piece be essentially functional and pleasant, it must also be lasting in its desirability for use. Long after I have ceased to be productive the pieces that I accomplish today should still be enjoyed, appreciated, and used. This is the elusive quality that brings value to functional art, the lasting character that transcends the artist and outlives him. Whether in my paintings, musical composition, sculpture or pottery I desire most of all that the usefulness and aesthetic appeal be both easily perceived, and lasting.”
SPONSORS
Number 1 brand in America for a reason. Skutt.com
For all your ceramic needs go to Georgies.com
I am so happy to have this cup in my home
How do you decide which shows to join?
I’m not that choosy. It is usually national calls that I normally enter into. I also would like to know who is the judge. If the judge is entirely different from what I do, then maybe the chances are slim of being able to get into that show.
When it comes time to actually entering the shows, do you do all the photography yourself?
I take all my pictures myself.
So for your photographs, what is the background of your photographs like?
I do both the real-life setting and the gradient paper background or white paper. But for calls to entry I do strictly a studio photo.
During the podcast you mentioned that you use Instagram strictly as a portfolio. How important is that to you to keep your feed aesthetically clean like that?
When I started Instagram and I was looking for other potters’ work, sometimes there where potters that chose to include a lot of other people’s work in their feed. And then I got so confused, Which one is his or her pots? So I wanted to make my feed about me and my work.
How much time do you put into writing the description part of a post?
About five to ten minutes. As for the hashtags, I am almost just putting those in by just habit. But if I do #saltcellar, then I find that people that are selling salt cellars are looking at my work. So I think there is some effect.
Do you get sales through your Instagram?
All the time! All the time. When I post something, I get direct messages from someone that I have never met. Then they want to know how much is it? how big is it? how soon I can ship it to them?… Things like that.
What is the process like for making a sale over Instagram?
So the mechanics of this is somebody asks me a question. I answer them. I give them the price. Then if they are still interested, then I give them the actual photos. I send the photos because Instagram photos are kind of dramatic because of the lighting and stuff like that in order to give more contrast. So if someone asks me for a piece, then I take separate pictures with my phone under normal lighting and in different directions so they can get an idea. Then they normally order. Then I use Square to send them an invoice so they can pay me by credit card. Once that is done, then normally the next day I ship it to them.
You have been living in the United States a long time. Having said that, do you ever plan on moving back to Japan? If so or if not, why?
If depends on how it is going to be in a few years from now. We are living in such a politically polarized period right now. I haven’t given it that much thought, but I will have to see what it is like five years later. It is too bad that I can’t have duel citizenship. Japan doesn’t allow it: you have to choose. If I become an American citizen, then my Japanese citizenship is gone. It is such a huge decision. But I have everything here, so it is very difficult to make that kind of decision.
Book
Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson
Contact
Instagram: @masasasakiceramics