*NOTE* This class is full. Registration is open for the waiting list only. We will contact the waitlist in order of registration date before the first class begins if a space opens up. To find your place on the waitlist please contact us at the front desk.
About Registration: Before registering for classes & workshops, please review our registration policies in full. For questions, contact us at the front desk.
Description: Join world-renowned artist Akira Satake for a three-day, hands-on workshop exploring the art of handbuilding. Drawing from his tea ceremony bowls, yunomi, sake vessels, teapots, plates, ikebana vases, and sculptural objects, Akira will guide participants through both technical skill-building and aesthetic reflection.
Techniques will include:
- Stretched Kohiki Handbuilding – creating cups, teapots, and more, with a reed teapot handle demonstration.
- Kurinuki – carving clay to form sculptures, vases, chawans, boxes, and other unique forms.
- Surface Enrichment – using dobe mortar on handbuilt or wheel-thrown pieces (a limited number of wheels are available for sharing).
In addition to hands-on work, Akira will lead discussions on Japanese aesthetics, offering insights into:
- Finding beauty in imperfection (wabi-sabi).
- Understanding the importance of negative space (ma).
- Cultivating inspiration from the natural world.
Level: All levels welcome, Ages 16+
Please note: Registration for this class will close on Saturday, January 17 at midnight.
Schedule: This class will be three full days, January 23 – 25 from 10:00am – 4:00pm each day.
Supply fee includes: All workshop supplies will be provided. We recommend bringing your favorite tools (see list below).
Students should bring:
- Please bring your favorite tools! Recommended Tool List
- Dress to get muddy!
- A towel for wiping your hands
- Notebook/Sketchbook
- Lunch or snack and something to drink
About the Artist: Born in Osaka, Japan, Akira Satake moved to the U.S. in 1981. After years as a professional musician and producer in Brooklyn, NY, he relocated to Swannanoa, NC, in 2003 to pursue ceramics full-time, founding Akira Satake Ceramics. He later opened Gallery Mugen in Asheville’s River Arts District in 2013.
His work has been featured on the PBS series A Craftsman’s Legacy and exhibited internationally in France, Italy, Belgium, Israel, Australia, Spain, Chile, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Bali. His pieces are held in the collections of The Mint Museum, The Phillips Collection, and the Asheville Museum. He is also the recipient of the National Award for Excellence in Contemporary Clay from the Philadelphia Museum.
About Our Programs: As a place of convergence, the Mill serves as both a community and a physical place–celebrating the power of the arts, bringing people, ideas and perspectives together. We are proud to offer adult and youth programs that focus on awareness of one’s individuality in the contexts of family, community and the natural world. Our exhibitions provide a space to reflect, share perspectives and grow as a community. Our classes & workshops are designed to inspire creativity, foster connections, and provide enriching experiences for all participants. We invite you to step into the studio.
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