Shoshi Watanabe

Shoshi Watanabe, one of the three founding partners of Zakka Bakka (an experimental Los Angeles retail space) has forged a close friendship with High Society through our shared passion for craft and design. Raised between Tokyo and Southern California, he blends traditional Japanese pottery techniques with a modern sensibility, creating organic forms that feel both grounded in history and vibrantly contemporary. His academic background (a B.S. in Biology and an M.F.A. in Ceramics from UCLA) imbues his practice with a balance of scientific rigor and playful experimentation, evident in every curve, glaze, and unexpected kiln effect.

In his Los Angeles studio, Shoshi sources local California clays and employs natural materials like wood ash to achieve surfaces that recall ocean swells, desert dunes, or volcanic ash. After studying and working closely with renowned ceramicist Adrian Saxe, he resurrects decades-old glaze recipes and adapts them through spontaneous firing techniques, yielding vessels whose textures capture the dialogue between earth, water, and fire. Whether it’s a slumped cup or a sharply carved vase, each piece reflects his meticulous attention to materiality and form.

Beyond galleries and design fairs, Shoshi’s ceramics have become integral to LA’s culinary scene; his bespoke tableware graces the tables of Kinkan LA, Lulu, Kodo, Gunsmoke, Hinoki and Bird, Blossom Santa Monica, and Shibumi. These restaurant collaborations showcase his ability to tailor each piece to a chef’s vision, enhancing the dining experience through thoughtful scale, tactile finishes, and subtle coloration that harmonize with the tasteful cuisine they accompany.

Since 2021, High Society has celebrated this creative partnership by showcasing rotating installations of Shoshi’s cups, bowls, and sculptural vessels in our Los Angeles storefront and online at hs68.la. Our ongoing dialogue has evolved from friendship to collaborative storytelling. We look forward to future projects (from limited‑edition tabletop sets to immersive editorial features) that weave his experimental ceramics and our narrative‑driven tailoring into a single, cohesive expression of craft and dedication to the arts.