Ritual Objects
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edition series
foraged Irish coastal clay
site-specific, hand-building, raku-firing
This series of ceramics artefacts is rooted in the coastal landscape of southern Ireland. Foraged clay was press-moulded at the coast then manipulated and refined by hand in my studio to create a series of sensory objects intended for ritual settings. Surface texture and natural tone variations are the result of applying a range of unprocessed clay slips, under a clear glaze. Many pieces feature a fine or distinct crazing pattern that was created through an elemental firing process called Raku.
Raku is a low-firing process where pieces are heated rapidly in a kiln to approx. 1000°C. The pieces are immediately removed while still hot and placed directly into a reduction chamber containing combustibles like sawdust and dried seaweed. This process is exciting and unpredictable, and the results are never the same.