Intensive Wheel Throwing Masterclass
This throwing - focused program is all about building confidence on the wheel. Ancient Korean throwing techniques are taught step by step through theory, demonstration, and guided practice. You will learn how to throw off the hump, and master basic but fundamental shapes from the “Sabal” or tea bowl, to plates, cylinders, larger forms, and vases . We believe it is essential that students develop an honest relationship with clay, know its limits, and understand that each time we touch the clay, there must be a reason and a method to our movements. By breaking down each step students can sharpen their skills and aspire to a higher level of craftsmanship in their own practice. Imagine all the lessons one would learn as an apprentice, condensed into a week or two of intense practice. Students from all backgrounds and skill levels are welcome. Instruction and demos will be catered to each individual student’s goals and/or abilities. Learn how to practice and follow the path to mastery on the wheel.
Intensive Onggi
Masterclass
Learn the lost art of the Onggi technique, a method unique in the world for coil building large pots and forms. Traditionally born out of necessity in Korea, Onggi pots were and still are used today for food fermentation and storage. A quintessential example of how form follows function, both the forms and building techniques are a living art in and of themselves. You will be given your own set of wooden tools, and taught how to make coils, flatten the base of the pot, and coil the clay using the “Taryeom” method. Later you will learn how to paddle the form and shape it, giving you a newfound sense of volume and proportion on a large scale. There are only a handful of Onggi masters left in Korea, and even fewer opportunities to learn from them one on one.
Why a Masterclass?
These workshops are intensive, once in a lifetime opportunities to learn directly from working potter and Onggi master Kwak Kyung Tae side by side in Icheon, South Korea. Plenty of one-on-one training will be available and the class size is deliberately kept small. This is a chance to make a lifelong connection to Korea and a mentor in the field. Students will gain both theory and practical knowledge with a hands-on approach to the techniques involved. Each day will begin with particular demos followed by an intense day of practice. Students will get out what they put in (in terms of effort and results). The goal is for students to leave with a solid grasp of traditional Korean techniques and the confidence to apply them in their own practice and context.