Where the ocean begins

There is a fixed star named "Nunki" in the constellation of Sagittarius.
The name is derived from ancient Babylonian means "The edict of the sea" or "Where the ocean begins".
It's because when you find this star, Capricornus, Aquarius, Pisces, Delphinus, Cetus and Pisces Austrinus - these water or ocean-related constellations appear soon after. 

I was somehow so touched when I knew about the star and its meaning.
And I thought "where the ocean begins" is "where all of our lives begin".

Many of my works in ceramics, and even in painting are born with a motif of Ocean.
I was born and raised in a small town besides the ocean in Japan, and so the ocean was nothing special for me.
I liked the ocean, but it was just ordinary at the same time.
Even after I moved into the city away from my hometown, I could reach the beaches or coasts easily since the land of Japan is very narrow. Yes, it's an island country.

The first time I felt scared was when I was moving from Boston to Albuquerque, New Mexico across the land of United States by car.
I felt strange, anxious feeling while when I was driving in the middle of the inner land seeing just a vast plain continuing for hour and hour, day by day.
I know it sounds strange, but I was feeling as if I was confined.
Then, New Mexico where I arrived doesn't have the ocean besides neither.

I had an urge and strong craving for the ocean for the first few months there.
That was so unexpected and intolerable for me, so I traveled to California just to be near the ocean.

After that, I got used to New Mexico, or rather started to love the land even it didn't have the ocean - but the place I headed to first when I moved back to Boston - was the ocean after all.
Then I realized how I love and missed the ocean.

    当時のことを日本語ブログに書いています。臨場感があって、懐かしいです・・・
　日本語を読める方はどうぞ↓
    SOMETHING NEW   
    PRIVATE OCEAN   
    DREAM OF A WHALE   

Since then, many of my ceramics works started to have some sort of oceanic ambience, and it's still lasting.

It's a calling for Ocean.
It's a longing for Ocean.
It's love for Ocean. 

When I first saw one of the pieces which came out of the kiln recently, I remembered the phrase  "Where the ocean begins" - so I named it so.

Now I feel like Ocean is not only the place where we are from, but also where we are going to return to.

"Where the ocean begins"