COVERCHORD EXCLUSIVE
AYOO
SOLO EXHIBITION
at COVERCHORD
Pieces that hold the scenery of Amakusa.
COVERCHORD presents a solo exhibition by Ayoo.
December 13 (Sat) – 17 (Wed)
An exhibition by Ayoo, the creative duo of Naoki Kanazawa and Ayoo Sachi, will be held at COVERCHORD.
The name “Ayoo” comes from an island expression uttered instinctively in moments of joy, sadness, or surprise, carrying no fixed meaning yet full of feeling.
Their inspiration comes from the rich landscapes of Shimoshima in Amakusa, Kumamoto, its sea, mountains, plants, and atmosphere. These impressions take form through ceramics, photography, film, and written works.
This exhibition presents ceramic works created by Kanazawa and Sachi.
Wildflowers, earth, morning mist, sunset, moonlight, the quiet rhythm of daily life, and the deep blue of the sea,
the pieces hold the presence of Amakusa’s scenery, blending clay, color, function and beauty.
From December 13 (Sat) to 17 (Wed), visitors will have the rare chance to see the largest selection of Ayoo’s work ever shown at once. We hope you will visit and experience them in person.
In the latter half of this feature, we introduce scenes from Amakusa, the landscape that serves as the origin of Ayoo’s creative practice.
RIM BOWL ¥10,000
RED CLAY RICE BOWL ¥6,000
WAVY MUG ¥6,000
LIGHT HOUSE ¥3,500
RIM BOWL ¥10,000
HAND-PINCHED SHELL PLATE SMALL ¥4,500
JAR CUP ¥5,500
RIM BOWL ¥10,000
December 13 (Sat) – 17 (Wed)
AYOO
at COVERCHORD
Exhibition Period: December 13 (Sat) – December 17 (Wed), 2025
11:00 - 19:00
The artists will be present at COVERCHORD Nakameguro on the first day, December 13 (Sat).
Selected pieces will also be available on COVERCHORD Online from the same day.
Venue: COVERCHORD Nakameguro
1F, 1-23-14 Aobadai, Meguro-ku, Tokyo
Instagram_@coverchord nakameguro
Venue: COVERCHORD Fukuoka
1F, 2-17-23 Kego, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka
Instagram_@coverchord_fukuoka
Ayoo
A husband and wife duo, Naoki Kanazawa and Ayoo Sachi, who express the quiet spaces of everyday life through ceramics, film, and other media.
The name “Ayoo” comes from an island word uttered instinctively in moments of joy, sadness, or surprise, a sound without a fixed meaning.
2022 Founded Ayoo on Shimokamishima, Amakusa, Kumamoto
2026 Beginning a “two-island life” between Mukojima in Onomichi, Hiroshima and Shimokamishima, Amakusa, Kumamoto
Website_ayoo-utuwakeshiki.com
Instagram_@ayoo_._._
A Message from the Artists
Tracing the Landscapes of Amakusa
The Amakusa Sea. The place that inspired Ayoo’s signature “blue glaze scenery.”
As of 2025, Ayoo’s creative foundation remains on Shimoshima in the Amakusa Islands of Kumamoto, where both artists were born and raised.
During their travels across Japan, they became drawn to Mukaishima in Onomichi, Hiroshima. Beginning in 2026, they will move into a “two-island life,” working between Setouchi and Shimoshima in Amakusa.
This exhibition marks the final body of work created entirely in Amakusa.
Ahead of the show, we visited Shimoshima to see their studio, observe their process, and trace the “scenery of Amakusa” that has shaped Ayoo from the beginning.
Naoki Kanazawa began his ceramic practice in 2008 at his family kiln in Amakusa, while Ayoo Sachi started her career as a video director in Fukuoka that same year.
After marrying in 2019, they began exploring a shared form of expression, developing glazes and working together on ceramics.
In 2022, Kanazawa became independent from the family business, and the two formally established Ayoo.
Their work has since expanded beyond ceramics to photography, film, writing, and more.
At the core of their work is an approach that shapes the “scenery of Amakusa” observed in daily life into expressions that feel true to their own experience.
Naoki at the wheel.
Under his practiced hands, the clay quickly takes the shape of a vessel.
Of all the steps in pottery making, he enjoys the forming process the most.
He laughs as he says, “The trimming stage feels like I’m the one being scraped away, so I’m not very good at it.”
Their cat, Mugi.Always nearby, watching over their work.
Sachi forms these small cups by hand.
She adds drawings and handwritten impressions inspired by the landscape.
A single small dish first brought the two together.
During a difficult creative period, Naoki often visited a park on Shimoshima overlooking the Amakusa Sea, spending his days quietly watching the horizon.
Sachi discovered the dish and was captivated by its ocean-like blue.
When she visited Naoki to photograph it, that meeting eventually led them to begin creating together after they married.
In pursuit of a blue that felt closer to the Amakusa Sea, they tested firings, adjusted mixtures, and discussed each change. Through these shared experiments, the “Blue Glaze Landscape” was born.
The solitary hours Naoki once spent in reflection gradually became time the two now cherish together.
Just as they work side by side at the wheel, they walk and talk through the “scenery of Amakusa” as one.
Being able to witness these calm, gentle moments felt truly special.
A hidden beach where white rock, the source of Amakusa pottery stone, lies exposed.
They climbed the big rocks and showed each other the stones they found.
As they walk, they share ideas, picking up whatever moves them and putting it into words.
It feels like a project meeting without a table.
They wait for dusk.
The changing colors of the sky and sea give them new ideas each day.
Ayoo also has a piece titled in Swedish, “mångata,”
meaning the shimmering, road-like reflection of the moon on water.
Their lemon-yellow car from spring has become a companion.
Taking turns driving, they travel all across Japan.
The engawa of their home studio is one of their favorite spots.
They use it for meetings or simply to relax.
It’s a place with a good feeling, where special time seems to flow.
Ayoo’s pieces can be found everywhere in the house.
Serve food on them, they become quietly useful and beautiful.
The soft, vivid colors that define Ayoo’s work come from their signature glazing.
Each shade is a crystallization of what the two have created together.
Poured as if entrusted to nature, the glaze settles into forms that make every piece one of a kind.
