New planter works by contemporary ceramic artist Atsushi Ogata have arrived at the Rurbanism online store.

Born in Tokyo in 1960, Ogata is now based in Uda City, Nara, where he continues his ceramic practice. Known for works using techniques such as kohiki (white slip) and hakeme (brush marks), he draws out the powerful character of iron-rich native clay.

Wood-fired and high-fired, his vessels hold a quiet yet unmistakable presence—enhancing flowers and plants while also bringing depth and a subtle tension to the space in which they are placed.

Ogata’s forms, where architectural lines merge with natural texture, harmonize effortlessly with modern interiors, adding a serene beauty to everyday living.

The works in this arrival are small, palm-sized black-clay hakeme planters by Atsushi Ogata, approximately 11 cm wide and 7 cm tall. The brush marks—created by swiftly sweeping white slip across a dark clay body—are each entirely unique, with no two surfaces ever the same.

Bold, energetic traces of the brush carve a powerful rhythm into the surface, holding a sense of movement and vitality—as if even the maker’s breath were captured within.

This is a one-of-a-kind planter created especially for Rurbanism.

Ogata’s planter works are rarely presented even in solo exhibitions, and it is exceptionally uncommon for them to appear on the market—making this an extremely scarce piece.

In this work, we have planted a cactus from the genus Astrophytum: Hakujō Fukuryū Banjaku.

Hakujō Fukuryū Banjaku is a horticultural cultivar born from a cross between Ranhōgyoku and Hannya. With its striking balance of white striping and pronounced ribbed growth—rarely seen in nature—it stands as a kind of culmination of selective breeding within Astrophytum.

The quiet, otherworldly vitality held by Ogata’s hakeme planter and by Hakujō Fukuryū Banjaku is distinct in its own way.

Together, their presence feels uncannily natural—as if they had always belonged there.

It is, quite literally, a single art piece that fits in the palm of your hand.

On the Rurbanism online store, we also feature many other works by Atsushi Ogata, including black-clay hakeme flower vessels and more.

Rurbanism will continue to thoughtfully propose scenes of everyday life where beautiful design and plants coexist.