1st Artisan Circle

There is a sense of fascination evoked by the flowy rhythm of curvy mountain roads, whether familiar or just encountered. Yet today, the generous bends that take us again from San Bernardino to Soazza, in the Swiss Grisons, feel especially joyous. The road ahead is empty, the sun shines brightly, and the rugged texture of the rocks provides a striking contrast to the rich tapestry of greens that surround us. These natural formations add a sense of timelessness and solidity to the scenery, enhancing the aesthetic allure of the winding mountain road.

Despite its raw beauty, it’s not the scenery that heightens this moment, but a palpable sense of anticipation. The thrill of driving winding paths invigorates us, yet what lies ahead is even more enticing: the dawn of a novel adventure, the first AGOBAY Artisan Circle.

Contributing to a thriving global environment for art and craftsmanship, we gather hand-selected artisans to inspire and enrich one another. As they interact and merge their honed skills, something unique and novel emerges. Amid reflections, new ideas, discoveries and possibilities – in their and our minds – a few objects might be born, highlighting the magic of imagination and collaboration. “The Artisan Circle strives to create space for a new future to take shape,” says René Allemann. It is both a personal and collective journey for life-minded individuals who seek to shape and experience a shared sense of purpose and serenity in the world.

Helga welcomes us upon our arrival in Soazza. Since the preparation for her summer cycle began, it has rained a lot, and the damp chill makes it difficult to work in her centuries-old atelier house.

She expresses her concern that there may not be enough new pieces to view. And yet, we know there will be plenty to admire and fall in love with. Because this is what her pieces do. Their purity, their striking presence, their unapologetic way of being touches us deeply, without fail.

As we enter the narrow darkness of her studio atelier, we walk slowly and consciously, taking it all in. There is an unexpected sense of coming home, perhaps because the rawness of these spaces is just as unpretentious and soothing as the conversations we have with our cherished host. She leads the way, and we follow the flowing, abundant fabric of the clothing that hides her delicate build. “These are clothes made for women who work,” she says. Understated elegance without unnecessary constraints: such clothing suits Helga, both in her appearance and in her being. We walk upstairs, discovering new pieces and some older ones – even though the latter present themselves in a new dress. Helga likes to change the display of her pieces when she keeps them around for longer. It is as though they have been living in the atelier house for too long and, like her, are uplifted by a change in scenery. Despite the calm that pervades these ancient, bare walls, that sense of anticipation has not quieted much. On the contrary, Helga’s has mingled with ours. With complicit smiles, we keep it unspoken as we all wonder what will happen when our guests arrive.

A long time in the making, now they are here. Visionary designer Shinichiro Ogata and master ceramist Shingo Oka meet ceramic artist Helga Ritsch for the first time. After a warm welcome they are invited to Helga’s tea house: a tiny stone construction of the sort that they don’t make anymore. Though it shares the cooled, unadorned quality of the atelier house, the stones impart a distinct character, making it feel closer to nature and further from civilisation. As everyone settles in, Helga starts the tea ceremony. Initially we exchange few pleasantries about our journeys and other mundanities, but soon enough the stillness sinks in. In an age of constant entertainment and distraction, in our full and rushed lives, there is a profound need and appreciation for simply being. The ease of sharing this stillness with remarkable individuals sinks even deeper into our essence, creating a sense of binding serenity.

Helga serves a delicately enchanting Sakura tea in vessels she made twenty-something years ago. They are beautifully delightful and could be mistaken for her more recent work, as her aesthetic vision was already apparent then. Yet their presence is not quite yet as ‘unapologetically Helga’ as her more recent work.

Ogata-san and Oka-san admire her pieces with a hint of surprise at their longer history and inquire about a detail or another. There is neither formalism nor self-absorption. This encounter is driven by genuine interest and curiosity to learn about and from one another. Every moment is intentional, with the potential to leave a lasting impression.

Upon finishing our tea, we leave the peacefulness of the tea house to explore Helga’s creative world. As she navigates through eras of her work and the narrow paths in her atelier house, the house itself fills with life and laughter that reverberates through the walls and the rooms. It is as though summer, with its louder colours and its irresistible joie de vivre, has arrived in Soazza all at once. Despite the twists and turns between languages and the occasional delayed laughter awaiting the ‘pointe’ in the translation, the connection between these masterful creators transcends words. There is a deep understanding, a serious reverence for the work itself, but also a respectful banter and a joy in discovering and sharing.

Oka-san’s dark brown eyes are kind, and they smile often, the charming expression lines around them hinting at his joyous nature. There is something pure and genuine about his presence, a solidity you can rely on. Indeed, his connection with Ogata-san is enduring. They first met over twenty years ago, united today by deep respect for each other’s work, an appreciation of their differences, and a friendship cultivated over the years.

While Ogata-san divides his time between Japan and Europe, this is Oka-san’s first time here: Paris, Provence, Zurich and now Soazza. Each is a world unto itself, distant from his own, yet through Ogata-san’s guidance, they unfold with ease – from art to architecture, from food to wine, and from one landscape to another. And now, finally arrived at a ceramist’s atelier, does he feel closer to home?

While they share ceramics and painting as their main form of expression, their means of creation are as distinct as their pieces. Helga insists on having everything in its place – “it frees my mind when there is order around,” she says. It seems that the emptiness outside is what she needs to give voice to her inner inspiration. Oka-san’s atelier is the polar opposite: it overflows with abundance as his creativity is sparked by what captures his eye, combining what he has seen with newfound light. And this is exactly where he starts when working on Helga’s pieces.

The anticipation of our morning has transformed into a sense of wonder and curiosity for what is about to unfold. Helga’s white Ming porcelain vessels, delicate and striking in their simplicity, have been turned on the wheel and are now dry and ready to be painted by Oka-san.

He prepares his colours and unpacks the set of brushes he has brought with him. He is focused on his preparatory steps. There is no rush in this ritual, which seems to soothe him and brings a sense of familiarity to a distant place. We wonder whether he knows just yet what he will be painting. Sitting by the window, he observes the landscape: the stone roofs, the mountain rocks and trees, the peaks. We found out later that this was the initial spark for his inspiration. Helga could probably describe what you see out of her atelier window with both her eyes closed. And now, perhaps, so could Oka-san. Even though what he painted on the first vessel is a subtle interpretation of the landscape.

While being used to a visual abundance around him, Oka-san is less accustomed to a chatty audience while he works. Satsuki-san, his wife and ceramist who often works next to him in their atelier, gently teases him about it. She enjoys working to the genius of Keith Jarrett’s improvisations, and when she does, his music becomes the atelier’s sole soundtrack. When she is absent, Oka-san listens to conversational radio, a stream of words without expectation, in which he finds peace for his work.

The sense of anticipation that accompanied us has lifted, like a faint fog dissipating to reveal a calm, beautiful mountain lake. But there is more. A playfulness fills the air, paired with a sense of profoundness that somehow feels light and captivating. When Helga asks Oka-san his preference for the glazing, he smiles and asks her to play with it. Just as she entrusted her treasured pieces to him, so does he. There is no need for explanations, they instinctively understand each other.

While Oka-san is still at work, Ogata-san observes the creation unfolding before us. His taller frame appears accentuated in the low-ceilinged atelier studio. His presence, charismatic but never imposing, often exudes an appealing calmness, yet he gently paces back and forth. A familiar creative drive seems to be at play. For some the urge to create is strongest in moments of non-creation. Yet we sense that Ogata-san’s visionary mind is at work: as if he has left the moment and the room, venturing ahead to imagine new realities we might discover someday. “My objective is for individuals around the world to create works that resonate with the richness and nature of their own countries,” he says.

To him, ceramics serves as a bridge between nature and humanity. By shaping the earth and hardening it with fire, we have for centuries crafted essential objects to meet our most primordial need: nourishing our bodies. Despite their evolution, ceramics remain a primal and fundamental human tool at their core. And as this connects us with nature, it bares the power to connect us individuals.

Meeting the creator behind a piece can complete, enrich, or change the impression formed by observing their work. When Ogata-san discovered that Helga’s mother was in fashion, that Helga herself was an architect, and heard the anecdotes behind the small painted cards that she carries around when she travels, he began to see her as a designer who chose ceramics as one of her forms of expression.

As they delve into their ceramic origins, they reflect on the profound differences between their countries. In Japan, ceramics have always been a revered art form, while in Switzerland, and across Europe, the craft has enjoyed a renaissance in the past five to ten years. This newfound interest appears to be fuelled by a passion for culinary arts and aesthetically pleasing tableware as their canvas, explains Helga, who worked with it long before its current acclaim.

They observe this development from a distance, with a hint of curiosity about what will emerge from it. While beginners learn the fundamental principles of ceramics, these experienced masters know that enduring creations are often shaped by mastering the rules, only to then break them. They understand the importance of leaving room for the accidental nature of creation. “That’s why the word ‘art’ exists,” says Oka-san. “It’s about immersing yourself and discovering something new, which then becomes a part of you – it’s a feeling. When it turns into a structured skill, it ceases to be art.”

Following similar processes allows us to create up to a certain point, establishing principles and fundamentals. Yet, by introducing new ideas, we constantly unveil new discoveries. This holds true for painters, sculptors, and ceramic artists alike.

Perhaps it is this common understanding that binds them beyond traditional methods, techniques, brushes or glazes. They have transcended the basics, honing their skills to a level where they can respect and innovate beyond tradition seamlessly. With this encounter, by recognising each other’s virtues and genuinely appreciating their respective work, they open the door to more unexpected possibilities.

While one’s own creations might tend to follow the same path, an unexpected element can open up a new direction. “It’s like joking with someone, falling in love, or even the way in which a single virus can change depending on the country and place,” says Ogata-san. This is what he anticipated when he opened OGATA Paris. The potential of the unexpected to create new possibilities is the sense of anticipation we felt all along. And while this day is coming to an end, it marks a new beginning for Helga, Oka-san and Ogata-san. The first of many AGOBAY Artisan Circles to come.

Delicate, white Ming porcelain vessels made with intention. Their interiors are mostly left in their natural state, revealing the organic traces of Helga’s fingers as she guided the clay to its full height, shaping it into its final form. The exteriors display various patterns of grooves, each naturally complementing the shape and line of the vessel. Two vessels mark Oka-san’s passage in Helga’s atelier studio: they connect the nature outside her window with traditional Japanese motifs and inspire us to seek the magic in every moment shared. Discover their uniqueness, let them tell their story and become part of it.