KOMONO and the people who create it. Vol.2 Kazunori Hamana
KOMONO is an accessory brand based in Antwerp, Belgium, that mainly offers sophisticated products such as watches and sunglasses. We previously interviewed the designer, who is also well versed in the art world, about the brand's simple, unisex designs and poetic visuals, which are steadily gaining recognition here in Japan. In this issue, we will introduce the brand's newest models through the filters of four creators who are well versed in art and culture. The second installment features Kazunori Hamana, a potter in Isumi City, Chiba Prefecture.
After graduating from high school, he went to San Diego, California, U.S.A. to study. After returning to Japan, he began selling vintage denim and watches at flea markets and became a full-fledged private buyer. 1994, he opened a sneaker store "blues" in Harajuku, which closed with the end of the sneaker boom in the 1990s. He then moved to Isumi City, Chiba Prefecture, where he discovered that it was the largest producer of sardines in Japan, and perfected an anchovy sauce called "seguro no kusare" by improving old fish sauce techniques. Currently, in addition to his ceramic art activities and anchovy making, he has renovated an old private house and is working on creating a gallery. His ceramic works have attracted much attention, as they are sold in stores associated with Shinichiro Nakahara of Landscape Products and contemporary artist Takashi Murakami, and are currently being exhibited at the Towada Museum of Contemporary Art, Towada, Japan, under the title ofTakashi Murakami's Superflat Contemporary Ceramics(through 05/28/2017), also in the collection of Takashi Murakami.
Walther Tobacco" ￥22,000+TAX
A representative model of the brand with a simple design and small seconds. The domed glass gives it a form with a strong presence.
All are variable and do not categorize.
First of all, I would like to ask you about your occupation. If you were to give yourself a title, what would it be?
HamanaI'm in a lot of trouble. Once I decide to do something, that's all I can do. I make anchovies, and I also make works of art from trash I pick up on the beach. However, I think I am different from a potter.
Hamana's work is placed on the second floor deck. The leisurely appearance seems to resonate with the surrounding environment.
In 2014, during his solo exhibition at Hidari Zingaro (a gallery produced by Kaikai Kiki, led by Takashi Murakami), he held an exhibition titledOn the occasion of Kazunori Hamana's solo exhibitionHis tumultuous life was introduced in a text titled "The life of a Japanese sneaker maker. He started out at a flea market, then set up his own sneaker store, and after a series of twists and turns, moved to Isumi City. He started making ceramics and anchovies, and has been making them ever since.
HamanaI am a potter, but in my mind, nothing has changed from what I have done in the past. Selling sneakers and making anchovies are no different. The "seguro no kusare" I make is completely fermented over a period of more than six months, using only sardines caught that day, so it is completely different from the way anchovies are made, which is to destroy the species. It's a counter attitude, saying, "It doesn't exist in the world, so let's do it.
The works are cluttered, yet unified. Not only his own works, but also antiques, works by his friends, and objects drifted from the sea are placed here and there in the room.
In the sense that there is nothing else like it, many people seem to be overwhelmed by the "size" of the works.
HamanaI don't want to categorize professions, just as I don't want to have an image of "this size is Hamana-san," and that just happens to be the case at that moment, but if society moves to this side, I will go in a different direction.
I am often asked why this size. The purpose is to see how a space changes when a work with an unusual size is placed there, and how it affects me and others. Of course, we make and sell them, but that is not our first priority.
You have said before that you sympathize with the beauty of old objects such as those from the Azuchi-Momoyama period. Is this because you are more attracted to the beauty of objects that have passed through the ages than to modern objects?
HamanaOribe Furuta is a very "dirty" person. After 400 years, the "grotesqueness" disappears and only a little human passion remains, which is very moving. If it had just been made, I would have kicked it out (laughs). I don't need this kind of thing.
I think the reason why many contemporary artworks are said to be not beautiful is because they are only "self-explanatory" and do not respect the earth or carry the history of mankind. However, as time goes by, their expressions will change. I am now very interested in the balance between the two.
HamanaFor example, I found this (the bottle in the above photo) on shore, and I think it was originally a poor plastic bottle of detergent. But I like the way it looks now, with the brown stuff adhering to it as it drifts in the ocean.
This is also why I used Azuchi-Momoyama as an example. Because it was a period of historical chaos, new things emerged, and it was also 400 years after the period, so there was a double filter applied to the work. That is why things from that period are considered masterpieces.
Be prepared to keep using it.
In the "Walther" collection of "Comonos" that you brought today, there are two types: one with a black dial and a dark brown belt, and the other with a white dial and a light brown belt. How do you feel about the design?
HamanaThe only word I can think of to describe it is: simple. It is not overly elaborate and has no symbolism. If we consider watches as a kind of luxury, it is possible to have a symbolic design that is recognizable as a brand, but this watch has none of that. I guess you could say it has no peculiarities.
What kind of person do you imagine wears it?
HamanaThe design is orthodox, so it can be worn by anyone, or rather, it can be worn by people who like to do things carefully and have a good sense of style.
I think a little over 20,000 yen is a very realistic price. For example, a young person can buy it with his/her first salary. I think it is a good introduction to watches, and because it is so simple, I hope people will use it for a long time.
Hamana's work is placed in an old house that is being converted into a gallery.
What are your criteria for choosing products other than design and price?
HamanaI like the black dial on this "Walther" watch when it's vintage, but when it's new, it's not quite to my taste. However, as I said before, if you are prepared to use it for a long time, it will definitely change.
I think it is interesting when an object does not end when you buy it, but bears traces that are "only" yours, such as marks from bumps or changes over time, or a personal history.
HamanaI was a collector myself, so much so that I thought about becoming a watch dealer. Now that I live like this, my day is almost like the sun, so I don't wear a watch anymore, but I have always loved and collected watches, and I think they should be a product.
However, having experienced the end of the sneaker boom in the 1990s, I know from experience that fads go out of style. That is why I want to say that you need to be prepared to choose things.
A work in an old house. Broken ceramics are usually useless, but Hamana sees beauty in them that is not "the beauty of use.
I'm not sure if I've ever made a purchase that I was prepared for.
Hamana: There is too much secondary information and the thing itself. But if a girlfriend I used to date gave me a piece of jewelry and I wore it all the time, my personal human history would be engraved on it. And that story will have an impact on others.
So, I will make this watch! and that if you decide to keep it, you should keep it all the time. I use it even in the summer, so the leather belt might get stinky (laughs), but I'd rather have it that way. That way it has more impact.
If he says, "Yes, that's right. My girlfriend gave it to me when I was 19, and I've been using it ever since. I would like to see him sewing on a broken belt by himself, or patching a piece of cloth in the middle of a belt.
