about

This unique teapot series started in 2015. A friend introduced me to loose leaf tea for the very first time. She brewed a sticky rice tao cha in a small gong fu teapot, and poured me a cup on a cold winter day. That cup of sticky rice tao cha inspired me to make a teapot for myself, so that I can include this new tea ceremony practice in my morning meditations.

Needles to say, I was challenged and completely enthralled by the process of making my very first teapot. I dedicated the next three years of my life to learning more about tea, and improving my skills as an aspiring teapot artisan.

On November of 2019, I won a paid trip to Japan through a Japanese reality TV show. A one week trip was curated around my interests, specifically teapots and tea. As a result I was incredibly fortunate to meet and learn from tokoname master, Mr. Murakoshi Fugetsu.  

Mr. Murakoshi gifted me some rare tools and gave me his blessings to carry on the traditional craft of the kyusu. Since then, I have committed myself to becoming one of the best teapot artisans in America.

I continue to explore the endless possibilities, placing great effort on creating unique works of art. I encourage the teapots that I make to take on their own identities. The raw wood handles that I incorporate into my work, is intended to facilitate thoughts that will help the individual reflect on their relationship to nature. I am deeply influenced and inspired by the wilderness. Ultimately, I want the people who hold my work in their hands to experience a small awakening, or a moment of self realization that rekindles their affinity for our earth.

  I mark my work with the kanji symbol Tsutsumi. The definition of this is a dyke, dam, or bank. These three things have one thing in common, they hold water. I use the symbol metaphorically. Do teapots also hold water?