Growing up in a pottery town (Kyoto, Japan) I was surrounded by many great potters and beautiful pots. As a young child, I would visit the museums and look at National Treasures and extensive ceramic collections from around the world. I was inspired. My early training within my family’s tradition of painting kimonos allowed me to develop my hand, gave me an eye for beauty and proportion and instilled within me an appreciation for everyday work. Although I respected the work, I had a great will to learn clay. My desire was strong to make the kind of work that I wanted to see. With this driving me, I apprenticed with Master Hisashi Tezuka and began my journey to become a potter.

-Ikuzi Teraki

Growing up on a family dairy farm (Barre, Vermont) I was surrounded by the beauty and the beast of nature. Responsibility for the work belonged to us all and we worked as a team. Yet it was not just the working, it was learning how to work with enjoyment. I also grew up with a strong connection to the land and thought that I lived on the rim of a bowl that was full of earth. I could loose myself in the flight of birds and would draw patterns in the air in relationship to their paths. I cherish the lessons I learned in youth. It is an expression of this way of life that compels me to do what I do. I think of creation within this vehicle called Romulus as paying homage to honorable work and I can see its’ beauty. It is with great pride that I dedicate myself to this continuation.

-Jeanne Bisson