Akiko Hirai Japan, b. 1970

Works
  • Akiko Hirai, A Large Moon Vase
    A Large Moon Vase£6,500.00
  • Akiko Hirai, A Large Moon Vase
    A Large Moon Vase
  • Akiko Hirai, A Tsubo Vase
    A Tsubo Vase£1,750.00
  • Akiko Hirai, A Pair of Morandi Bottles, 2022
    A Pair of Morandi Bottles, 2022 Sold
  • Akiko Hirai, Seven Morandi Bottles, 2022
    Seven Morandi Bottles, 2022 Sold
  • Akiko Hirai, A Set of Three Morandi Bottles
    A Set of Three Morandi Bottles Sold
  • Akiko Hirai, Large Sake Flask
    Large Sake Flask£1,750.00
  • Akiko Hirai, Small Sake Bottle
    Small Sake Bottle£990.00
Biography
View works. Akiko Hirai, Seven Morandi Bottles, 2022
Seven Morandi Bottles, 2022
View works
Akiko Hirai (b. 1970) is a renowned Japanese-born ceramic artist based in London, celebrated for merging traditional Japanese techniques with British studio pottery
. Originally a student of cognitive psychology, she moved to the UK in the late 1990s and graduated from Central Saint Martins in 2003, later heading the ceramics department at Kensington and Chelsea College. Her work, which includes both functional tableware and large-scale sculptural "moon jars," is defined by a philosophy of intentional imperfection and the Japanese aesthetic of wabi-sabi. Hirai frequently uses rough, dark clay layered with white or pale glazes that act as a "veil," revealing textured surfaces through chemical reactions in a gas reduction kiln. Shortlisted for the 2019 Loewe Craft Prize, her work is held in major permanent collections, including the Victoria and Albert Museumand the British Museum. Most recently, she held a solo exhibition of new ceramics at Beaux Arts Bath in late 2025.