A traditional Japanese method of firing, Raku teaches clay students to accept, appreciate, and discover the beauty in unplanned outcomes—an ideology also known as wabi-sabi, a comprehensive Japanese world view that Visual Arts Teacher Ceil Sturdevant holds near and dear to her heart. Ms. Sturdevant says, “every Ellis student that takes my class knows what wabi-sabi is because it’s such an impactful and important philosophy. It’s something I urge my students to live by in the studio and in their life—to always see the beauty in the imperfections.”  

This year, students made two pieces for Raku, a traditional Japanese winter tea bowl and a zoomorphic piece. The tea bowls were shaped for function and beauty, with the winter bowl’s sides molded upright and straight to keep the tea warm in the cold night. For the zoomorphic piece, students mixed human and animal characteristics together to create a stylized, realistic, or fantastical beast.

After firing their two pieces in the kiln, students held an adapted Japanese tea ceremony, using their freshly glazed and fired tea bowls. Lit by the kiln and flickering candlelight, students sipped tea and wrote Haiku, traditional Japanese poems, about the experience that they then read and shared with the group. Following the ceremony, senior clay students continued the tradition of initiating younger students into Raku with a light-hearted game that welcomes them into the Raku sisterhood.

An event that is cherished by Ellis students young and old, Ms. Sturdevant shares, “Raku is such a bonding and spiritual experience for everyone involved. It’s a way for the girls to connect outside of class and share an experience that’s unlike anything else. At Raku, we’re really celebrating friendships alongside fire and earth and recognizing how that brings us together.”