Raku is a firing technique that originated in Japan as a way to expand the possibilities of ceramics — a way to create unique tea bowls for tea ceremonies rooted in the philosophy of wabi-sabi: allowing the impermanence of an object to be the best part, appreciating the natural imperfections in art, nature, and life. Thank you to the artists who created this glorious technique, and to all the people who first cooked pots. Thank you, thank you!
There is something deeply exhilarating about taking red-hot pottery out of a kiln and scorching it in a trashcan full of banana peels, coffee grinds, seaweed, newspaper, salt… whatever burns and seeing what magic will be created by the fire. It's a technique that doesn't let you pretend to have control, the fire decides… the magic of alchemy!
I taught Raku courses for a few years, below are some of the incredible student creations from these courses!
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Taking the pots out of the kiln and torching them in trashcans before they rest and smoke for ~30 minutes. I am in the blue shirt, making sure everything is on fire and that no pieces stick to the sides of the trashcan - I do this by tossing straw or other combustible materials before closing the lid of the trashcan to let the smoke finish its work.
This was an epic collaboration - I was the model for a commnunity sculpture class and my friend Daniel created this bust of my head which we later torched during a Raku session. Very grateful to Daniel, an incredible artist, for creating this piece and this moment.. it was surreal to watch my head on fire…
I want to create a Raku residency — weeks or months of creation, experimentation and roasting pots! Until then, I'm teaching, learning, and looking for the people and spaces who want to build with me. The dream is cooking pots and cooking food in a beautiful place with people who are looking to create, experiment and enjoy the magic of Raku!
Let’s Cook Some Pots Together!
