Ceramics & Bronze Casting

Concept

Two material explorations from an exchange at Tsukuba University in Japan. The ceramics work investigated how regional clay compositions shape outcomes through wheel-throwing, glazing, and traditional wood-firing. The bronze casting work translated a Teru Teru Bozu — a soft textile rain charm — into permanent metal, capturing fabric drape and fold in a material that resists all of those qualities.

Skills

Pottery wheel Glazing techniques Wood firing Traditional bronze casting Lost-wax process Mould development Material experimentation Chemical patination Collaborative learning with local ceramicists

Ceramics

Regional clay

How the mineral composition of local clay affects workability, shrinkage, and final surface character

Glazing

Diverse approaches tested to explore colour, texture, and reaction with Japanese regional clay bodies

Wood firing

Traditional kiln methods used to introduce natural ash deposits and unpredictable surface effects

Bronze casting

Source material

Teru Teru Bozu

A handmade textile charm — light, soft, impermanent. Hung by children to wish for sunny weather.

Translation

Bronze casting

The same form in metal: heavy, permanent, detailed. The drape of fabric preserved in a material that cannot drape.

Clay model

Form built from clay to establish the fabric drape and volume

Wax cast

Clay model transferred to wax in preparation for investment casting

Bronze pour

Molten bronze poured into the investment mold; surface chemically treated after cooling