Studio Series - "L'Agamine": Portrait of an Anagama Kiln in Saskatchewan

August 27 to November 13, 2005

Organized and circulated by the MacKenzie Art Gallery with the generous support of the Saskatchewan Arts Board, and the Canada Council for the Arts.

This exhibition offers a change from the usual single-artist format of the Studio Series to present the work of a remarkable group of ceramic artists associated with a wood-fired kiln known affectionately as “L’Agamine.”

The brainchild of Meacham, Saskatchewan artist, Charley Farrero, the kiln was constructed in the traditional Japanese anagama (or “cellar-kiln”) style. Built with an innovative sloping design and relying on wood ash for glaze, anagama kilns require round-the-clock stoking—a task impossible for a single ceramist. Hence the community of ten ceramists who have come together over the past three years to participate in the marathon five-day firings.

The idea for the kiln dates back to Farrero’s first anagama experience on a trip to Japan for the World Crafts Council General Assembly in 1978, which he attended with fellow Saskatchewan ceramist Mel Bolen. There they saw firings in Bizen and Shigaraki, important ceramic centres since the 12th century, and met one of Japan’s “living national treasures,” Fujiwara Kei. The experience of seeing pots with an appearance of being produced by natural forces rather than an artisan’s hand left a lasting impression on Farrero and a desire to build someday his own anagama kiln. That day arrived in 2003 when he completed his new kiln in Meacham, Saskatchewan with the help of fellow artists Dee Funk, Jeff Stewart, and Zane Wilcox. In addition to its builders, firings to date have involved: Mel Bolen, Jody Greenman-Barber, Jan Johnson, Rory MacDonald, Anita Rocamora and Ken Wilkinson.

The anagama vessels in this exhibition are a record of two performances: the potter’s work with the clay and the fire’s dance over its surface. As Farrero says, “a harmony of form and fire” is the ultimate goal. For Farrero and many of the others involved, the anagama experience has evoked a shared feeling of a return to the fundamentals of ceramic production and has resulted in a reinvigoration of their clay practices.

Studio Series - "L'Agamine": Portrait of an Anagama Kiln in Saskatchewan

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