An Interview with the Artist Behind Alyson Iwamoto Ceramics
Today I am so excited to introduce you to one of my favorite jewelry designers and ceramicists, Alyson Iwamoto! I first heard of Alyson through my friend Diana at Tessaku. She was wearing a necklace made of leather and ceramic beads, and I just loved the simplicity and beauty in the raw materials used. The style felt modern, but had a soulfulness to it that I now understand after having interviewed Alyson. The wabi sabi design and shared Japanese American heritage make Alyson’s pieces even more special to me. For me, when I wear an Alyson Iwamoto piece, it also feels like a way to wear my heritage proudly for all to see, and there’s something profoundly healing and powerful in that.
On her background…
I am sansei/yonsei, third and fourth generation Japanese American, born and raised in LA. I received a BFA in ceramics from Cal State Long Beach. Both my Japanese heritage and L.A. roots deeply influence my work for the last 20 years.
On her company…
I design and make all ceramics in my LA studio. I draw, sculpt, fire, and sand each piece by hand. I create a vast array of ceramics ranging from my ceramic jewelry which is very clean and tight to my sculpture which is very loose and expressive. People often ask if one person made both bodies of work, but my work expresses different aspects of my personality. Most recently I have been working a collaborative project with Cindy Zell focused on wall hangings which is tremendously exciting and inspiring.
On how she wants people to feel when they wear one of her pieces…
Each piece is handmade and one of a kind. I hope people feel the love and integrity that I put into every piece. When I make jewelry my desire is to honor the history of jewelry and treat each piece as a talisman.
On her first encounter with ceramics and what drew her to ceramics…
I always did art but in college I thought I needed to pursue science. I remember sitting in chemistry class memorizing the periodic table and realizing I needed to pursue clay because there was magic there for me to discover. My love for sculpture began 20 years ago and continues today with my critter sculptures.
“I felt and still feel that working in clay is actualizing my potential as a human being. It is what I was born to do. With clay there is no tool between the artist and the material.”
On her time as a ceramics instructor for inner city children…
Working at Inner City Arts was a life-changing experience. My time there taught me so much about humanity. ICA is located in Skid Row. Children attend classes in drawing/painting, animation, ceramics, drama, and music. The goal is not to create artists but to foster creativity. It’s often their only opportunity to express themselves through art in school. With world problems like global warming, we are going to need creative thinkers in order to make positive change.
On deciding to start Alyson Iwamoto Ceramics…
It was incredible to watch the children grow and trust themselves. Every day, I would tell the children at Inner City Arts to pursue their dreams and then one day it occurred to me that it was my turn to do the same.
“Art is freedom of expression. My husband once said that artists capture a visual history of the world. In part we are the recorders and gate keepers of history.”
On her inspirations and inspirational figures…
What I make just comes through me. I think the Japanese American sculptor, Ruth Asawa, said it best. "Learning is cumulative, which comes from experiences with many people with different viewpoints and techniques. Techniques are simple to learn. Digesting them and making something that represents you will take a lifetime. Learn to draw, build, work with materials. Above everything be curious, learn all you can, and take a lifetime doing it."
My parents George and June; my husband, Sheheryar; and our daughter, Aiko, inspire me daily. Their love makes everything possible.
On some of her favorite stories about how your pieces have played an important role in people's lives or been a form of expression for them…
I met a woman last year who said she found her biological mother in Hawaii and sent her one of my necklaces. This same woman came to a sale to purchase the matching earrings. I felt so honored and touched that my piece was the first gift she choose for her mother.
Another amazing story also occurred last year as well. A fellow ceramicist, Maia, purchased one of my ceramic maneki nekos (good luck cat). Her entire home burned to the ground but the good luck cat survived the Camp Fire. I think finding my piece amongst the rubble gave her hope.
On how her Japanese American heritage has informed her work…
Both of my maternal grandparents were artists. I grew up around my grandma Kimi’s ikebana and Japanese calligraphy, both of which influence and inspire my work. My grandpa Akira was a poet and had many artist friends so they had a wonderful collection of art work I grew up around. One day, it occurred to me that my wabi sabi crackle jewelry line was reminiscent of my grandma’s tea cups, but in earring form.
On the significance of going to Japan…
Everything came into focus for me when I went to Japan. It wasn't until I went to Japan for the first time and saw a ceramic piece in the airport, that everything about myself and the importance of clay in my life made sense. I needed to pursue clay because I am Japanese. It's just in my bones and what I was born to do.
“I believe that we are born who we are and hopefully we spend our lives actualizing who we are born to be.”
On honoring her legacy as someone who comes from a family with a history of forced incarceration…
Every day I practice kindness as a way of life. Though my daughter, Aiko, will never know her great-grandparents, she is being raised with their down-to-earth values. My grandparents were hard working, kind, humble and always willing to help people in the community. I try and honor them each day by doing good and working hard as well as passing those values down to my daughter.
On meaningful cultural traditions…
Japanese New Year is my favorite and the largest holiday where all my extended family meet. I love eating the regional traditional dishes that generations before us ate the same time of year. My husband is an Indian Jewish American and now that Aiko is getting a little older we are excited to introduce her to Indian and Jewish traditions. We want her life to be rich with culture. I do not speak Japanese and my husband does not speak Hindi or Urdu so food and traditions are important in order to honor our cultures.
On a significant memory that changed her identity…
When my daughter was born everything changed. With the love and support of my husband and daughter, everything is possible.
On what she is most excited about for the future…
I am thrilled about my collaboration with Cindy Zell. We have worked together for just over 2 years now and I feel like anything is possible in the most wonderful way. When two people bring what they do best to create work I've made things I would never have dreamed up and it’s incredibly exciting. To view our wall hangings please go to: https://cindyzell.com/
On off-brand skills or things that not many people know about…
I think it is important to know that when it comes to Alyson Iwamoto Ceramics I do everything from sketching and creation of work but also picking up supplies, designing my website, as well as styling and photographing of work.
On new things ahead for Alyson Iwamoto Ceramics…
As my daughter enters preschool I am excited to get more time in the studio to sculpt. Sculpture is how I fell in love with ceramics and I want to further actualize that aspect of my work.
Thank you so much, Alyson! To learn more about Alyson Iwamoto Ceramics and purchase her work, please visit her site or Instagram.
If you enjoyed this interview, check out our recent interview with Naomi Takata Shepherd, the creator of 6 Degrees of Hapa!