Akiko Hirai is a ceramicist who draws upon traditional Japanese and British methods. Her tactile and functional pieces range in scale from small dishes and sake bottles to her vast and impressive moon jars with their lava like glazes. All of her work has a strong yet uncomplicated form and predominantly uses a dark, course clay with simple glazes that allow the impurities to subtly show through, adding muted colours and shade. We visited her London studio to see where her beautiful work is created.