Raku

Raku, in Japanese and Chinese, means “Fun”. We definitely had tremendous fun in our most recent raku firing workshop on Sunday 28 March 2021. We would like to extend our appreciation to the tutor, Hugh Rickard, for his knowledge, sharing, and leadership. Experienced raku potters even took an advanced step to try ‘naked’ raku techniques in the session. (the pots being unglazed, not the potter being naked!)

 A wide range of raku specialised glazes were provided in the firings, including some cracking and copper-infused effects. Testing the durability of our bisque-fired pieces through the temperature changes during the raku process is the most challenging part. The unpredictable outcomes and its immediate delivery of results are the reasons potters are fascinated by it.

 Approximately 7 batches of firing were conducted in a professional and safe manner on the day. The outcomes are stunning. Although we all smelt like smoky sausages, at the end of the day, many of us have started to consider what items to make and we look forward to our next workshop.