The Raku show at IVS

Unique pottery pieces are created through a painstaking process.

KARACHI:

A Raku show was performed on the grounds of IVS last Tuesday. One may ask: what is Raku, and what techniques are used in order to create it?

According to Nabahat Lotia, who has learnt this technique in Canada and first taught it in Pakistan almost a decade ago, “Raku is a pottery firing technique that has its origins in 16^th century Japan. Glazed pieces are loaded into a cool gas kiln. Once ignited, the firing proceeds at a rapid pace until the desired temperature is reached.”



“Glaze maturity can be judged by the trained eye. When the firing is determined to be complete, the red-hot pieces are immediately removed from the kiln with the help of long tongs. They are immediately placed into a container of combustible material such as newspaper or sawdust and allowed to smoke for a predetermined length of time.”

“The carbonaceous atmosphere reacts and affects the glaze, imparting unique effects. Some of these effects are metallic and crackled. Upon cooling, the pieces are taken out, scrubbed and polished,” she adds.



Lotia explains that what  makes the Raku process unique and sets it apart from other techniques is that the iridescent colors one can achieve with this kind of firing are eye -catching. Ceramists and others, are also drawn learning the technique  interested in learning because the spontaneity and the surprise factor add excitement to the whole process.

This technique is not well-known and not many schools teach this art form. She laments that while it is not a  difficult technique to learn and practice, no school other than Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture (IVSAA), Karachi and on rare occasions National College of Arts, Lahore provides an insight into this technique.



While giving credit to IVSAA for teaching this technique to its students, Lotia says, “Right now, the only place in Pakistan that is holding workshops for Raku firing is IVSAA. I have been invited by the Beaconhouse National University Lahore next month to introduce the Raku firing technique to the students.”



Raku pots and other clay objects provide a very aesthetically pleasing finish. Not only are they created in an interesting manner, they are the perfect addition to any mantelpiece. In jewel tones and a glossy finish, Raku pots fetch higher prices than ordinarily fired pieces, due to the painstaking process of their creation.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 22^nd, 2014.

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