Soda Fired Pottery by Satoko Barash
Making utilitarian and artistic ceramics, I enjoy exploring the infinite variety of texture and color attainable through the malleable process of fabrication and firing. I like to incorporate a style of simple elegance and the hand made quality in my work. I, native Japanese, met my husband in New Zealand. He persuaded me to continue my art in the U.S. where we now share a home in Mendocino County, California. I have a studio and a hard-brick soda kiln at home and receive help and inspiration from my loving husband and our daughter.
August 2024
I fell in love with the magical mystery of atmospheric firing as soon as I began working with clay 25 years ago. Standing in front of my soda kiln before loading, I pretend that I am the hot and excited soda vapor, traveling through the maze of pottery at 2200 degrees F.
It is time for me to depart from this unabashed pursuit of beauty. My hard brick soda kiln uses an embarrassing amount of propane for each firing. And I've developed hand pain from years of repetitive movement using the wheel. After this show, I will focus on figurative sculptures where I started my journey with clay.
I’ve met so many great people, while making the kiln, firing, taking workshops, and received kind support for my pottery from family, friends, and patrons. I’m forever grateful.My relationship with clay has been a project of the heart, rather than the intellect. The magic is still there, and the best is yet to come, as they say.
