MAKING

Canadian potter Martha Johansen has
found a potter’s paradise. Her studio and
home are ina hundred year old farmhouse.
She has a guaranteed incemne from two
annual shows and she is surrounded by a
public whose love of clay equals her own.

Onginally from White Rock, Bntush Co-
lumbia, Martha now lives in Oita City,
Kvushu, @ southern Island in the Japanese
archipelago. | first met Martha when we
lived afew blocks away from cach other in
Kitakyushu, on northern Kyushu Island.
She was beginning & (Wo-Vear program in
Japanese language studies and settling in
for the long haul just as | was leaving the
country for good. Twenty years of being a
hobbyist potter and a deep love of lapea-
nese culture preceded her deciston to live
in Japan. Although moving there initially
in 1900, it wasn't until 1S tht Martha
rented and refurbished an old farmhouse.
She installed a studio with a kerosene kiln

MARTHA PLAS Sts

dl ad ee 9

Oictaber 1969

and becume a production patter under the
ongoing tutelage of Takahike Koto, an
established and well-respected potler in
Onto (City,

Manha came into her own with fer first
scloshow in 1987. Two individual gallery
owners gave her the opportunity to exhibit
that year. The first show was in June of
1997 and the Following was in December
of the same year, Both shows sold out
almost entirely and the gallery owners
have agreed to guarantee her a show every
year al the same time in the future. Thes
good fortune has bed Martha and her teacher
io proceed further with their partnership
and together they are building a 27 cubic
foot wood and kerosene kiln in her back
yard. To top off the fairy tale, this year the

A Seder A lida

Potters Guild of British Columbia

IT IN JAPAN

city of Oita has recognized Martha as a
cultural asset and pranted her the equiva-
lent of $6000.00 towards building the wace
kiln.

Martha's success in Japan is lar gely chie to
her pursuing her dream with unyielding
determination. Finding aclay teacher who
will take on a foreigner, much less a fe-
male foreigner, isextremely difficult. She
has surpassed even her own expectations
and has expressed a desire to share her
good fortune. Onee the kiln is finished,
Martha's plan is to invite Canadian posters
to participate in homestays with a focus on
clay. Potters interested in visiting Japan
can visit her in Cita, expenence the Japa-
nese Clay Wadihon, dosome clay work and
ultimately participate in wood firing mght

in her back yarel,

If you're planning to go to Japan and
would like to visit Martha, you can wnte
her, Martha Johansen Naka Handa 3002
Oila-shi Oita-ken, Japan. If you have a
good long distance plan you can phone her
at (1 -81-975-97-S7T74, She'll also have
email within the next month or two. As
soon as she sends me that address ["l]
publish it in the newsletter. 1 might also
add that Martha is an exceptionally gra-
cious bost, highly personable and very
interested in sharing her knowledg@e and
expenence With other potters. For further
information call me al 604-874-8518.

R. Chinnery