The following ceramicists all share a passion for Raku which has its origins in the sixteenth century tea ceremonies of Japan. The American artist & potter Paul Soldner explored and developed his own variation of the Raku process in the 1960’s. Currently there are many approaches to this exciting art form.
Each participant in this exhibition has developed their own individual approach to Raku, which embodies a style of working that includes an attitude of mind and a way of thinking.
“Raku is a Japanese word that has been freely interpreted in the West as ‘enjoyment’.”
– Murfitt Contemporary Raku
Enjoy the works of Tim Andrews, Kate Schuricht, Patricia Shone, Moyra Stewart, David Roberts, and Stephen Murfitt himself as you explore each maker’s stylistic take on the Raku firing process.
Adam Frew works in porcelain, creating thrown functional and large one-off pots. He revels in the spontaneity of throwing, the speed of production, seeking to reflect this energy in his distinctive mark making. These marks are continually evolving, but are always energetic and confident.
Adam works in contrasts: of lines or washes, glazed and unglazed, blues and oranges or reds and more recently, applied ridges. “A sense of energy has always been central to my work. Working with the clay in a way that is fluid and quick, and doesn’t require much reshaping.”
Charles Bound ‘s work is unconsciously influenced by significant periods of time spent in the USA, Africa, and the UK. Loose and elemental, it reflects the rugged landscape of Wales, particularly of the farm environment where he lives and works today.
Akiko Hirai makes largely functional ware using the Japanese tradition of allowing the clay itself to show the way in which it wants to be fired. She tries not to control her materials but to let them and the unpredictable environment of the kiln dictate much of the resulting shape and colour of her work.
