Václav Dušek

Václav Dušek is a Czech ceramist, traveler and a great lover of tea.

He entered the world of ceramics in 2016, though his connection and appreciation for tea expands over twenty years. He has a deep appreciation for tea and the aesthetic of wabi-sabi. We are humbled to be offering his wood-fired shiboridashi (a simple Japanese style tea pot; a spouted bowl with a lid; perfect for travel as they do not have a handle) and tea bowls.

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”I cherish everything created by human hands, from hand woven carpets to furniture and everyday objects. I love to travel, adore mountains, revel in the free spirit of human endeavors, enjoy poetry, literature... I love life. In one word, I am deeply moved by the beauty of the world. Did tea lead me to appreciate beauty, or beauty lead me to tea? I don't know. It all began when I was sixteen, and it was a significant awakening because everything seemed to blossom at once.

So, tea and the aesthetics of tea have been with me for more than half of my life. In it, I find both my spiritual path and joy in the ordinary. There is perhaps nothing more simple than taking a bowl, placing a few tea leaves in it, and pouring in hot water. Life is fundamentally just as simple, and tea helps me realise this truth.

You can't invent much new in tea bowls anymore, they have been perfected over many centuries. The basis is the simple, uncomplicated shape of a space bounded by a form. A simplicity that unfortunately often eludes us in life. The essence of a bowl is to be filled with something. It is just a space for tea, surrounded by clay. The humble potter can only add his dialogue with the material. To feel the material under my fingers, to feel its texture, to see what the clay allows me to do and what it does not. When I roll the bowls on the wheel, I experience the same presence as small children do when they play. They do not notice their surroundings or the passage of time, completely immersed in the Here and Now. I try to imprint this moment on every bowl and vessel I make.”