A traditional Japanese mask created using the Raku techniques

Raku, however, is not a passion suited for the faint hearted. Manchekar spent the next two decades learning the art through extensive reading and practical sessions senior ceramic artists like Nirmala Patwardhan. “Raku kilns can reach temperatures of 1,000-degree Celsius within an hour during the firing process. Pulling them out to cool them, avoiding breakages, is the acid test of a ceramic artist. It is only by experience and practice that you ace the timing, and handling techniques,” he reveals. Through the workshops beginning this weekend, Manchekar will aim to share his learnings from the past 30 years with participants in the studio’s safe, controlled environment.  

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“The spontaneity of the art form keeps me coming back, and makes Raku stand out from anything else I have ever practised,” remarks Manchekar over a phone call from his studio in Indapur in Pune district, where he currently resides along with his creations. This spontaneity, we learn, comes from a process called reduction that uses combustible materials like saw dust and newspapers to cool down the ceramics. “No matter how good you get at predicting these designs with time, the process will always surprise you with unique patterns,” he explains.

Raku cups

Leading up to the workshops where participants will be guided in bringing the art form to life from scratch, the artiste gives us a glimpse of what the rewards of this laborious task look like. “Tiny cracks often appear on the clay and the glaze as a result of the rapid heating and cooling effect. These cracks complement the unruly designs, and what you have is a Raku ware, only one of its kind,” Manchekar shares.   

For Gourmoni Das, multimedia artist and co-founder of the studio, the workshop marks another checkpoint on his way to introduce novel practices to the city’s small, but steadily growing community of enthusiasts. “Experienced veterans in the arts, like Manchekar, are ready to share their insights. We strive to provide them the right platform and bridge the gap between them and the learners,” he elaborates.

ON May 18,19 and 25; 10 am and 2 pm
AT Studio White & Gray, The Great Eastern Mill, Byculla East. 
LOG ON TO @studio_whiteandgray 
COST Revealed on request