Though he got his start at his father's ceramics workshop, artist Takumi Kudo carved out a niche all his own under the South Kiln label, eventually earning his certification as a full-fledged craftsman in the Mino ware tradition.

Today, he heads the company his father founded almost 50 years ago, a brand that - under his leadership - has transitioned away from a mass production model to become a creator of beautiful handmade tableware.