Raku Ho’olaule’a 2012

Raku Ho’olaule’a is an annual community gathering, raku  ceramics workshop, firing and camp-out in a beautiful beachside setting at Camp Mokule’ia on Oahu’s North Shore.

The Tradition: The ideograph “raku” freely translated means enjoyment, contentment, pleasure and happiness. It is rooted in the 400 year old Zen tea ceremony of Japan. The original pieces of raku were tea bowls. Japanese raku potters worked exclusively to produce vessels for the tea ceremony, creating objects “ according to the laws of nature,” hence raku evolved as it did because of the tea masters preferences for natural things.

The Tea Ceremony: Each year Raku Ho’olaule’a is inaugurated with a traditional Japanese tea ceremony presented by the Urasenke Foundation in the University of Hawaii at Manoa, East-West Center Garden, Tea House. 

The Urasenke Foundation, founded in Kyoto, Japan in 1949 is a worldwide organization dedicated to “Chado, The Way of Tea” and the four Zen principles of Wa, Kei, Sei, and Jaku - Harmony, Respect, Purity and Tranquility. The foundation provides jurors and guidance in the selection of objects for exhibition in the traditional category as well as participatory tea ceremony demonstrations at our exhibition openings. Saturday, April 28, 10 a.m. - 12 noon 

The Tea Bowl Workshop: Following the tea ceremony, master potter Ed Higa leads a free hands on workshop where participants shape and carve their own tea bowl in the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Art Department Ceramics lab.  Saturday, April 28, 12 noon - 1p.m. and 2 - 5 p.m.

 

The guest Artist/Contemporary Category Juror: This year Hawaii Craftsmen has invited Steven Forbes-de Soules to serve as our guest artist/juror. Steven has studied and worked with clay for nearly 40 years. He has said of his work, “I am using ceramic art as a means to achieve a balance between concious control and the more subtle, unconcious or universal forces that permeate our reality...The raku firing is the ultimate test of achieving this balance...”  

 

In addition to jurying artwork submitted for exhibition in the contemporary raku category Steven will conduct a wet clay demonstration, Tuesday, May 22, 6 -9 p.m. and slide lecture, Wednesday, May 23, 7p.m. at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Art Department and provide interactive demonstrations at the beachside firing.

The Main Event: Three days of communing, glazing and firing by the beach at Camp Mokule’ia. Friday, May 25, 12 noon - Monday, May 28, 12 noon.

The Exhibition: On display at The Arts at Marks Garage, Tuesday, June 19 - Saturday, July 14, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. Tuesday - Saturday.