Loewe Craft Prize Finalist, Akiko Hirai’s work is a fusion of Japanese and British ceramic traditions. Based on the traditional Korean Moon Jar, a white porcelain jar made during the mid 17th-mid 18th century, in the late period of the Joseon Dynasty, Akiko brings her own unique modern-day take on these jars. Rounded in form, they appear to have a volcanic glaze streaming down the sides and encrusted on the surface, like a ‘whitewater’ river bubbling over rocky river beds. Akiko’s first Moon Jar was shown in the Moon Jar exhibition at the Korean Cultural Centre, London in August 2013 and she has been making them ever since.