Wayne Ngan raku
Bernard Leach is credited with bringing Raku to the west and became popular with American potters in the late 1950s with the help of Paul Soldner.
Raku's unpredictable results and intense color attracts western potters. Depending on the desired effect, the piece is either instantly cooled in water, cooled slowly in the open air, or placed in a barrel filled with combustible material, such as newspaper, grass, straw, etc., covered, and allowed to smoke.
Water immediately cools the pottery, stopping the chemical reactions of the glaze and fixing the colors. The combustible material results in smoke, which stains the unglazed portions of the pottery black. The amount of oxygen that is allowed during the firing and cooling process affects the resulting color of the glaze and the amount of crackle.
Below are but a few examples of Mr. Ngan's raku work...
Raku's unpredictable results and intense color attracts western potters. Depending on the desired effect, the piece is either instantly cooled in water, cooled slowly in the open air, or placed in a barrel filled with combustible material, such as newspaper, grass, straw, etc., covered, and allowed to smoke.
Water immediately cools the pottery, stopping the chemical reactions of the glaze and fixing the colors. The combustible material results in smoke, which stains the unglazed portions of the pottery black. The amount of oxygen that is allowed during the firing and cooling process affects the resulting color of the glaze and the amount of crackle.
Below are but a few examples of Mr. Ngan's raku work...
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