Students in Connetquot High School’s Ceramics II, III and Advanced Sculpture courses visited Nassau Community College for a unique experience in raku firing pottery.

The students first created ceramic pieces at the high school before packing up their bisque pottery and bringing it to the college where they attended a raku workshop led by professor and ceramic artist Bill Shillalies.

Raku is a firing technique originating in Japan in the 1500s. Raku means “pleasure” and comes from the use of the character for this word on a seal given to the family of the potter who introduced the style.

The raku technique is essentially when glazed ceramics are taken from the kiln while they are still glowing red hot and are then placed in a material that would be able to catch fire, such as sawdust or newspaper. This technique is used to starve the piece of oxygen, creating a myriad of colors within the glaze.

The students had an excellent time expanding upon their knowledge of ceramic techniques as part of this one-of-a-kind opportunity.

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Date Added: 5/21/2024