Raku Firing by João Lourenço

The European Night of Museums celebrations will feature a Raku firing session by potter João Lourenço, providing a unique artistic and cultural experience. The term Raku can be interpreted as joy, pleasure, liberation, or simply the enjoyment that comes from working with this ceramic technique.

Raku is a complex alchemy involving the four elements (earth, fire, water, and air), resulting in unique and always wonderful pieces. Until the last century, this technique was exclusively associated with the tea ceremony ritual and Zen Buddhist philosophy, in which clay symbolizes Mother Earth, from which all things are born. The Raku technique consists of firing the pieces in a special kiln to around 1000 °C. Generally, it is a quick firing process, so that the pieces can withstand the thermal shock, which is why a special paste is used. Raku pieces acquire characteristics in terms of color and texture that are very different from all other ceramic techniques.