I had the pleasure of attending the Raku Firing event held by the Department of Fine Arts on April 7 as a part of the Leonard Bernstein Festival of the Creative Arts. Raku is a technique used in firing ceramics that originates from Japan in the 16th century. Raku involves making ceramic pieces, glazing them with a special lead based glaze and firing them to 1800 degrees Fahrenheit. The pieces are then removed from the kiln and allowed to cool either in open air or a reduction chamber. The resulting pieces are unique and unpredictable due to the Raku technique’s exposure to carbon, whether in the air or in a reduction chamber. Carbon molecules bond to the clay, creating a matte black finish with a wide variety of effects on glazed portions of the piece. Glazed portions can take on crazed, iridescent or glossy qualities. 

Through globalization, the Raku technique has spread throughout the Western world, gaining intense popularity from viral videos on Instagram, TikTok and X (formerly known as Twitter). The Raku process has become a jaw-dropping, exciting and a once in a lifetime experience for ceramicists everywhere. Luckily, the Brandeis Department of Fine Arts collaborated with local artist and Raku specialist David LaPierre. Over the past month, the Fine Arts Department and David’s studio have provided materials and instruction on the raku process, culminating in the final firing that I attended. 

The firing process is incredibly hands-on, requiring people to wear flame-retardant clothing as they operated tongs to remove red-hot ware from the kiln. Then the tongs were used to place the pieces in reduction chambers filled with pine clippings and straw. After sitting in the reduction chambers for 30 to 40 minutes the pieces were removed and cleaned. I was very impressed watching people remove pieces from the kiln.  

Many members of Brandeis Pottery Club made multiple pieces for the Raku firing, bringing together academics and extracurriculars. During the firing, I had the opportunity to talk to several Brandeis Pottery Club executive board members, many of whom were participating in the physical firing process. A member of Pottery Club’s executive board shared a few words, saying, “Y’know, this experience really is a great opportunity to highlight the fact that the Department of Fine Arts really looks out for the wants of its students.” I also spoke with Pottery Club e-board member Susanna King ’25, who said, “I got to play with fire and I really enjoyed it!” The Pottery Club itself made over two hundred pieces of pottery during the process.

In the organized chaos that is the Brandeis University campus, students often find it difficult to exercise their creative side. Events like these are important to enhancing the overall quality of student life. Between the last rainy week and this fiery morning, it seems like the Leonard Bernstein Festival of Creative Arts is heating things up on campus. I encourage everybody to go and check out the other events listed on the Department of Fine Arts website to take full advantage of the opportunities this week.