insideKENT Magazine Issue 43 - October 2015 | Page 22

ARTS+ENTERTAINMENT

THE ART OF

raku

I've always fancied myself as a bit of a crafty one – in art as opposed to character;
so when it was suggested I try my hand at a spot of Raku under the guidance
of master potters Alan Parris and Billy Byles, I of course obliged. And as expected,
a morning spent at Aylesford Pottery was a morning well spent.
WORDS BY GEMMA DUNN, PHOTOS BY PAUL BAILEY

If you're wondering what's meant by the term
'Raku', it's worth noting that it's not a sushi dish,
but in fact a form of Japanese pottery that was
once used for traditional tea ceremonies (most
often in the form of tea bowls). Dating back as
far as the 16th century, this pioneering art form
translates to 'enjoyment' with good reason, and
today is celebrated worldwide for its pleasing
aesthetics and rapid, exciting results.
It's no surprise, therefore, that Raku ware is a
favoured practice at Aylesford Pottery's School
of Ceramics. Offering dedicated days to the
technique, in addition to one-day and 10-day
pottery courses, plus workshops and events, the
pottery – one of the few surviving commercial
outlets in the South East – caters to all levels,
from novices and semi-pros to schoolchildren.
On this occasion, it was catering to me: an
amateur with a penchant for pretty pots!

Set in the scenic grounds of Aylesford Priory,
you'd be hard pushed to imagine a more idyllic
place at which to work; and while Alan Parris
and Billy Byles have run the show since 1999,
there's been a pottery on site since craft potter
David Leach's leadership in 1954, later succeeded
by Colin Pearson.

First up in the Raku process is producing the
clay items to be later glazed. In theory, you can
use any clay, but Alan advises to use white body
clay for a better colour result and to avoid
porcelain due to the dramatic changes in
temperature.

Upon entrance, it's already an impressive set up.
There's a gallery selling a wide range of stunning
domestic ware made by Alan and Billy, an open
view of the master potters at work in the studio
(often undertaking commissions), and various
out buildings to cater for the aforementioned
School of Ceramics.

Here, the items were (as they should be) already
fired to the biscuit stage; therefore, the fun of
experimental glazing could begin! Aylesford
Pottery tends to work with a copper carbonate
glaze, which gives a copper/blue result, or a
cream tin oxide glaze to offer a fantastic white
crackle. With this in mind, I dipped a pot in each
finish and used tape and various other tools to
personalise my design.

A quick browse around the shop later (I'll be back
with a Christmas list soon enough!), and I was
in the studio, sleeves rolled up, apron on, and
ready to hone my craft under the tutorship of
Alan; a truly inspirational professional with a
studious background in ceramics and vast
experience as a freelance thrower in London and
Kent.

Next up, the pots were placed in the pottery's
rather fabulous homemade, outdoor kiln and
slowly heated to 600°C before being ramped up
to a burning 1000°C for approximately 45 minutes.
The result: red hot, flaming pots that need to be
carefully transferred – using long metal tongs and

22