Welcome to KIRIKO Free Spirit
My Ceramics Passion
In 2014, I stepped into the world of ceramics at TAFE in Lismore,
drawn by a long-held curiosity.
What began as a casual pursuit alongside my work slowly became something much deeper.
The feel of clay in my hands and the rhythm of the wheel quietly pulled me in, until ceramics became impossible to let go of.
As Japanese restaurants began to open across the Byron Bay region, I was fortunate to receive tableware commissions.
These encounters marked the moment I began to walk the path toward becoming a professional maker.
With each order came a growing sense of responsibility — a desire to create work that truly honours those who would use it.
That intention continues to guide my practice today.
In 2023, a six-month wood-firing kiln build ignited a new artistic fire within me — a longing to explore deeper originality through flame, ash, and time.
Then in 2025, a soda-firing workshop in Italy opened another door of inspiration.
My next dream is clear: to build my own soda kiln in 2026.
This journey with clay still feels like it has only just begun.
Plates Made in Collaboration with Restaurants
These plates are part of a collection I created through custom orders from restaurants.
Through meetings with each client, we carefully decide on the size, colour, and shape of the pieces.
Sometimes, I begin by creating a single sample piece before moving forward with the full order.
Seeing the plates I made with love being used in restaurants and beautifully presented with delicious food is one of my greatest joys.
Sitting down and enjoying a meal served on my own work is always a special moment for me.
A Six-Month Wood-Firing Kiln Project
Honestly, I had never known labour like this before.
We began with nothing — even the refractory bricks we were promised lay buried beneath the soil.
Digging them out by hand was where the journey began.
Each brick was cut carefully to follow the curve of the kiln.
Cement mixed, carried, laid — again and again.
The work felt endless at times, both physically brutal and relentlessly precise.
So many moments of undoing, redoing, and trying again.
Yet after six months, when the kiln finally stood complete, I was overwhelmed with gratitude for having shared such a profound experience.
Even now, a single firing demands over three tonnes of wood, fed into the kiln for 72 continuous hours.
This intensity is exactly what gives wood firing its deep, transformative beauty.
Having come this far, I want to create work that has the power to move the human heart.
Supporting Your Joy of Creating
Most people arrive at their first class feeling a little nervous, wondering if they’ll be able to make anything at all.
But by the end of the session,
they’re usually smiling from ear to ear.
Many people tell me they want to do more pottery and come back again and again.
Supporting people in their creative process is something I truly love.
For details about the pottery classes, please click the button below.
More Photos of My Ceramics click Instagram Icon
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