Japan & Denmark - Wood Fired Pots

Preview: Friday 16 August 2019 2019, 6-8pm
Exhibition: 17 August - 29 September 2019.

The Leach Pottery presents an impressive show of new wood fired pots by Callum Trudgeon, made during his recent year-long pottery sabbatical in Japan and Denmark.

In Bizen, Japan, Callum made a range of functional pots for the Bizen Pottery Festival before spending two weeks producing his own work that was wood fired in a Noborigama kiln. These pieces, inspired by the traditional pottery Callum experienced in Japan, are included in this show and made with local Bizen clay and fired in a traditional Bizen kiln. The clay has a high rate of shrinkage and much organic material, so the kiln is fired slowly for nine days – the resulting pots are infused with unique characteristics.

Callum’s work from Denmark consists of richly and subtlety surfaced pots fired in a selection of four different kilns, from the Embla kiln that that was fired for 85 hours, having two fireboxes to create ash effects from two directions, to a Babygama based on traditional Anagama designs, that gives heavy ash deposits over a 75 hour firing. Some of the pots were also completed in the wood fired soda kiln and also in a Train kiln that works almost like two kilns in one producing a variety of effects.

Callum travelled to Denmark to join the Young-Artist-in-Residence programme at the Guldagergaard International Ceramic Research Centre, working as a Kiln Yard Assistant. Guldagergaard specialises in wood firing, having six different kilns types. This opportunity gave Callum an extended amount of time to concentrate on his work and experience a wide variety of kilns and their effects.

Callum Trudgeon became the Leach Pottery’s first Leach-Seasalt Apprentice in 2014, completing his training in 2017. Callum will be returning to the Leach Studio, to the role of Production Potter, later in 2019.

The exhibition runs in the Leach Pottery Shop Gallery.
All works for sale.