Shino Takeda is a Brooklyn based ceramicist who grew up in southern Japan and has a deep, familial history of love for her craft. Amongst other things, we spoke to her about the serendipity of how she came to be a full-time ceramicist after a decade managing Blue Ribbon Sushi and the art of setting a table.
♫ Listen to shino’s playlist | ⌨ shino’s last google search
on her morning routine
I grew up with intense routines, so I hated routines for years! But quarantine has brought on great habits. Now, I have a morning routine: I mix fermented fruits, drink coffee (I love Stumptown coffee or buy from Farm to People), do a 20-minute workout (Workout for Women), shower, and make a lunch box for myself.
on her upbringing in Japan and her mother’s influence
Because of lots of after-school programs, I was exposed to art, culture, and sport at an early age. Those experiences allow me to see the world the way I see it; especially having grown up in such a small closed-off town in Kyushu Island, Japan. I don’t think I would be here without those experiences.
I also grew up with lots of ceramics back in Japan. My mom loves ceramics and has an incredible eye for Asian art forms, which she got from her dad, who I never met. She used to take us to antique shops, ceramicists’ open studios and showed us around. We have many ceramics and antiques at home. Also, she is a great cook, and growing up she used to cook a big dinner every night and let us pick all the plates (which she still does to this day when I am home). I’m not sure if I got her style, but when she compliments or comments on my work, it means a lot to me.
on how dance brought her to new york
Flashdance definitely influenced me. And somehow I thought the movie was based in NY, which I was wrong about... Anyways, I left dance behind a long time ago. It was a nice background to have and it brought me here so that’s reason enough to have danced.
NY has been the same since the day I arrived. Even though I didn’t speak English, I just felt like I had lived here before this life or something, I was so comfortable and welcomed. I felt excited and like I could just breeze around. It’s hard to explain, but this city has its own energy that is created by a mix of so much and so many cultures. And that has become The Culture. There’s so much going on, and it is such a mishmash, yet it is all solid. The city is just so expensive though! But for me, it is the best and only place to be.
““My name Shino is my mom’s favorite glaze (Shino glaze) so I was familiar with my medium.””
on choosing ceramics and on the evolution of her practice
I wanted a change or to pursue something I had always wanted to do, back in August 2010 after losing 3 friends in the same year. I thought about ceramic, glass, or metal. But the glass and metal studios didn’t have one-day classes, and it also seemed like they would be too hot to do in the summer. The ceramic studio had a one-day class. So I landed! I became a full-time ceramicist in 2012. It was really fast. I think I was in the right time, right place. There were movements gaining momentum one after another, from craft to handmade ceramics to being a Brooklyn artist or a female artist. I just fit right in. And of course, making it in New York adds a sense of fantasy to your work, and “Japanese ceramics” have always been respected, even though I never learned pottery in Japan. The next thing I knew, I was just busy filling orders.
on how she began working for herself
I was a full-time restaurant manager at Blue Ribbon Sushi and I didn’t have enough time to do that and make all the orders I was receiving. I was managing the restaurant for almost 10 years and I didn't know how to quit. I was also so comfortable with the money I was earning there. But then, the restaurant decided to not renew their lease. I didn’t have to make a decision. It happened organically.
I told myself that if I couldn’t make enough money, I could always start to wait tables for 2 or 3 days a week! But I never had to do that. It has been an amazing adventure since then. Working for myself is great in the sense that I can be flexible with time and can only work with people I want to work with. And working alone is so much easier. Working with people is fun, but also comes with a lot of drama that I am not interested in. But, alone, I do have to know how to push myself because it is really up to me to see how far I can go.
““For ceramic, there is not much philosophy to it, I feel like it is my diary. There is no forethought, just a reflection of my life through the season and through my mind and physical experience. If there were philosophy in my art form, then would that be pure joy and honesty? Nature, through my 5 senses, inspires me! And I hope my pieces will bring the people who use them some joy or conversation. I hope some of them will survive another hundred years and could connect the owner and their grandkid — like my grandpa’s antiques connect me and him even though he had already passed away when I was born.””
Top, Isabel Marant
on making one-of-a-kind pieces
It means I can be free and without stress! Well, actually, the true story of how I started “one of a kind” is that I got into my first shop literally 4 months after I started doing ceramic. I couldn’t make the same one when I started selling to shops. So I’d have to say “I only make one of a kind” to make it sound better. But it worked! When making my pieces, I also don’t really select colors. I use many colors freely and in the end, it takes sometimes staring at the pieces to then decide or make an adjustment.
on her proudest creation
I’m in a show that is opening on 4/9, at The Fabric Workshop and Museum in Philadelphia. It is a group show and my work will be shown among amazing artists I admire, like Toshiko Takaezu, Betty Woodman, and more. The installation will include my monoprints and ceramics. There will be a Louise Bourgeois piece right next to the 2 pieces I made to converse with her piece. I am so, so honored to be in this show.
on her tips for artful table-setting
Instead of having one uniform dinner set, have everything be different. I feel like if you have more than 7 different colors or styles, it all goes well together! Like a rainbow!
shino’s favorite books
A Fine Example of Art by John Lurie
Notes and Methods by Hilma Af Klint
Wolf Kahn by Justin Spring
on her beauty routine and her style
I never took care of my face and never wore UV-protectant makeup. I just wore red lipstick for years… But now I am 45, and I’ve got too much dark spotting showing through. Finally, I’ve recently decided to take care of my skin. My dear friend gave me Costa Brazil Face Oil, and it is so good. I love the smell, and I can just feel my skin is absorbing it! The Costa Brazil Body Oil and Costa Brazil Body Cream are great too. I also use my friend’s Japanese cosmetic line, NEROLILA Botanica. For fragrances, I like Olo in Cedar & Rose and Meadow.
I wear mostly vintage and some friends’ brands, like Sunsea, Ilana Kohn, The Nerdys and Vainl Archive.
shino’s favorite spots in new york
Favorite museum: Noguchi Museum
Favorite flower shop: Saffron in Fort Greene (and also in the Essex Market on the LES)
Favorite restaurant: Aurora in Brooklyn
images by clémence polès
interview by marina sulmona