What does "a fusion of Japanese and European design" mean for Tocoton Ceramics?

Tocoton Ceramics' main tagline is "Japanese × European design pottery."
However, to be honest, I had lived my life without ever thinking deeply about "pottery" until I started Tocoton Ceramics. Then one day, I was struck by the designs of L'Artesanna.
My first thought was, "Wow, this person makes vessels with a very Japanese design aesthetic."

But then I wondered, what exactly are Japanese design and European design? So today, I’ve been thinking about the differences between Japanese and European ceramic design.

What is the difference between Japanese and European ceramic design?

First, when I say European design, I'm referring to what we know from Japan and the Catalonia region of Spain, so let's compare "family dining" in these two countries.
In restaurants, whether in Japan or Spain, they sometimes use tableware in surprising ways to serve stylish and attractive dishes, so I will omit that for this discussion.

The general image of Spain is paella, pintxos, ham, salami, and so on, but it seems that in a typical Catalan home, the number of dishes served at the table is quite small.

In Japan, the traditional dining scene is "one soup, three sides," but it seems they don't use the small bowls and bean plates, nor do they serve as many dishes as we do.

Furthermore, while in Japan we generally put all of tonight's dinner on the table at once,
in Catalonia, Spain, it is standard to serve dishes one by one, such as soup first followed by a meat dish. It's similar to the image of us eating a French course meal.

(In Japan, dishes are laid out on the table from the start. Moreover, there are many small bowls and such.)

(In the case of Catalonia, Spain. A typical family dining scene. Soup or salad is served first. At that time, food is placed in the bowl at the top. When that is finished, the bowl is cleared, and a meat or sometimes fish dish is placed on a flatter plate like the one below.)

The biggest difference: Whether you pick it up or not

Looking at the photos and hearing about these habits, I realized the biggest difference is "whether you pick up the plate to eat or not."
In Japan, although we don't usually pick up the plate containing the main dish, it is common to pick up small bowls, rice bowls, and soup bowls to eat from them.
Therefore, they are designed to be easy to lift and to be a weight that allows you to do so.

On the other hand, in Catalonia, Spain, while there are dishes you sometimes pick up, the basic style is to eat with the plate on the table. It is considered bad manners to pick up a soup plate to drink from it. It is also common for plates to be heavy and large so they don't move, as meat dishes are meant to be cut. It’s true that if your plate moves while you’re cutting with a knife, you can’t cut the meat properly.

The way we eat and the food we eat are different, and that leads to differences in plate design. There are of course many other differences, but I think the ability to hold the vessel is a major one.

What kind of European-designed pottery is easy to use at a Japanese dining table?

Although the dining scenes in Spain and Japan are different, you can enjoy using each other's plates. For example, by incorporating Spanish-style (European-style) designed plates, you can make the color scheme more vibrant.

When using Italian-made plates, the bright yellow hues became very vivid.

Enjoying chocolate for dessert using a rose-patterned plate.

A salad dish using a sand-finish round plate. Placing a cloth on the table when eating not only prevents food stains and scratches from the plates, but it’s also fun because the color and texture of the cloth can completely change the atmosphere of the table.

How can L'Artesanna create both European and Japanese designs?

L'Artesanna said that while living in Barcelona, Spain, they always wanted to create something by hand. They had a vague image in their head that they wanted to create it with clay. One day, a friend gave them a pottery experience as a gift, and when they tried it, they thought, "This is it!" and became obsessed with pottery from then on. What made them feel that "This is it!" moment was that the feel of the clay was so pleasant.

At the same time, in a completely different area of interest, L’Artesanna had always been interested in Japan. However, they didn't know about Japanese pottery. As they fell in love with pottery and researched it, they came across information that Japanese pottery was famous.
"Wait? Japan has pottery? And it's super famous!?" they wondered.
It was at this moment that their love for Japan and the world of pottery became linked.

L’Artesanna, who also has a high interest in art, continued to research various things and came to Japan in 2018. To create their own opportunities to learn pottery in Japan, they moved between various potters, studios, and workshops. They even went on to study pottery at an art vocational school in Osaka.

In this way, L'Artesanna was born as a potter who mastered both styles of pottery by studying the basics thoroughly, not just as a hobby, in both Catalonia, Spain, and Japan.

Summary of the differences in Tocoton Ceramic designs

Vessels and vases that can only be created by L'Artesanna, who has studied, created, and lived the practical realities of both European and Japanese designs.
That is what makes Tocoton Ceramics' Japanese × European designs, and at the same time, it is the point that sets them apart from other pottery.
Because they actually live here, they understand the Japanese dining scene and how to use the vessels, which is a huge plus—it's not just about thinking about design alone.

Please take a look at the works of Tocoton Ceramics.