Trista Meisner
tristam@isb.ac.th
High School and Middle School Art
Next week, high school ceramics, sculpture and middle school 3-D art students will be learning about raku firing with Khun Kumpol Aiyarapattana. They’ll have some of their ceramic work fired with this method.
Raku generally refers to a type of low-firing process that was inspired by traditional Japanese raku firing. This involves removing pottery from the kiln while at bright red heat and placing it into containers with combustible materials. Once the materials ignite, the containers are closed. This produces an intense reduction atmosphere which affects the colors in glazes and clay bodies. The drastic thermal shock also produces cracking—known as crackling since it is deliberate. The original Japanese style of raku is an outgrowth from Buddhist influences in life and especially in the tea ceremony.
