WHAT IS CERAMICS?

Ceramics is a unique form of art made from nonmetallic, inorganic solids which are then shaped and hardened for use. It is a broad term as it can refer to pottery, cement, porcelain, or even glass art! 

THE PROCESS OF POTTERY

1. Starting with earth bound clay mixed with water, the substance is shaped and molded into the desired object.   

2. Then, it is placed into a large industrial oven called a "kiln" to achieve an impervious texture. ​

3. Once the kiln is finished applying high temperatures to the object, it can then be painted on to add the final touches!

ocarina /clay whistle - before and after glaze 
by Julia Wilson

FUN FACTS

• ​​​An ocarina is an ancient musical wind instrument.
• Guiseppe Donati created the ocarina when he was a teenager in 1853. 
• The ocarina originated in Italy and means little goose. 
• ​They are also known as sweet potato flutes. 
• Clay ocarinas produce more vibration, creating a better resonating sound than other materials like metal or wood. ​

Ghoulie with a unicorn horn, peacock tail, and blue footed booby feet.
by Julia Wilson 

I chose to relate my pots to music, since it's a big part of my life. Each pot has a different song around the base represented by the music notes, with musical instruments as toppers. 

​I chose the song "Demons" by Imagine Dragons, because it was the first song I learned to play on the guitar.

I also chose "Hey Soul Sister" by Train, because I learned it for my mom, and "Feel it Still" by Portugal the Man, for my dad.

by Julia Wilson

DARKNESS IN THE SOUL
BY JULIE WU

This series of three clay pots was inspired by the characteristics of gumball machines. There was only one base, but three different tops. Each can be used as a container, opening and closing with the cap. The first one was a see-through of the machine. The faces inside were all waiting for the next chance, trying to get out. The one in the middle features the feet, though the sizes varied, which would have more power was unknown. Viewers can only see what’s on the surface. The last one was held by a hand ready to click the button. Five fingers from the palm grew into different lengths, thicknesses, and shapes. In the order from top to bottom, they each represented scapegoats, tortures, sneakiness, wealth/power, and feminine. The holder on the cap from the first container evolved to be a button on the last one.  
Normally, the button on the base could be twisted so that a ball on the top would fall down along the opening connected to the exit. What came out would be totally based on luck. However, in this series, no buttons could twist and there was no openings on any container. The only way to get things in the machine was through opening the cap and drawing from the container. The process exposed the reality of  “getting lucky” in society. The cap on the top can only be reached by a certain group of people, and they’d select an item and put it at the exit before you knew. 

MORE FUN FACTS

• The word "ceramic" originally comes from Sanskrit and means "to burn".
• The final properties of the clay is determined by the type of firing.
• Different firings include: Raku firing and Pit firing.  
• Before a clay piece is placed in the kiln, it is called "bone dry" clay.
• After the heat treatment, it is referred to as "bisque" clay.

​Header art by: Julia Wilson, Julie Wu, ​Jenny Hu, & Saki Shimizu 
Page design by: Julia Wilson, Julie Wu