As a material, ceramics is a paradox: soft and hard, fragile and durable. Some of the oldest artifacts we have are pots, and the wheel itself was first invented for clay before it was turned on its side for transport! When we work with clay, in some way we are in dialogue with this incredible past. Pots have come from all continents, through all ages!
As clay is heated, it goes through a process called quartz inversion – this is an irreversible change where clay becomes ceramic. In modern pottery studios, clay is often fired twice. Once to "bisque" temperature (around 1000 degrees C), and then a second "glaze" firing (around 1220 degrees C).
The glazes we use are a combination of different minerals, ground up into a fine powder, with added metal oxides used as colourants. The colours you see in the glaze bucket won't match what you get out of the kiln. That's because you need heat to melt all the materials together to create colours and glass!
Working with ceramics can be an incredibly rewarding experience. As a material, it is endlessly recyclable before it is fired. It records every touch, imprint, or movement. It can also be incredibly humbling. Things crack, warp, break, or don't come out the way we expect. Clay teaches us the importance of letting go, of being present, and also the joy of connecting with a craft that has been around since the dawn of civilization!
Photos by Monse Muro