Dark oil slick rainbows undulate their way across the curves and crannies of Adil Abdul Ghani’s pottery, a subtly shining glaze contrasting beautifully with the rough-finished base of each piece.
Bursts of colour splay across small, graceful vases – as if the pigment was running liquid – or wrap a large globular vase completely.
These glowing pieces are Adil’s specialities – rainbow raku, a pottery variant sprung from the traditional Japanese low-firing raku method. Adil is possibly the only maker of such in Malaysia.
Based in Kuala Terengganu, Adil, 39, has a degree in art and design, majoring in ceramics; in 2006, he was sent by the Perak government to the Saga Ceramic Research Centre in Arita, in Japan’s Saga Prefecture. That’s where he found his heart completely captured by the art of ceramics.
“I was born in Kuala Kangsar, Perak – the home of the labu sayong!” he said.
Nonetheless, when it came time for him to choose an artistic speciality, his time in Japan had so captured his imagination that he chose to focus on Japanese-inspired raku, rather than the glossy black, gourd-shaped pottery of Mukim Sayong (just 1km from his hometown).
“I felt that this was something no one else was doing in Malaysia, and that it could take ceramics to another level,” said Adil. “So I built my own kiln and furnace, in which temperatures go up to 1000°C.”
His raku is removed from the kiln while still hot, then wrapped in a material such as newspaper and placed into a container. The newspaper or other material will ignite, at which point the container is sealed. This creates a reduction atmosphere in which oxygen is sucked from the kiln, and affects the colours in the glazes and clays used; the sudden thermal shock can also cause a deliberate cracking or crackling effect in the glaze.
Most raku come in cool shades of grey – a nod to the simplicity and naturalness that saw it playing a role in ancient Zen ceremonial teaware – but the rainbow raku is coated with copper pigments, which gives it such brilliant hues.
“I also make the naked raku, but I only started making those after the rainbow pieces,” said Adil.
“What I do differs slightly from what is done overseas because of our humidity and the clay I’m using,” he said. “Malaysian clay has a comparatively higher silica content, so is usually more reddish or whitish.
“And our weather results in more vibrant colours in the rainbow raku, because the pottery cools more slowly, allowing more time for the colours to develop.”
Because he removes the pottery from the kiln when red-hot, and doesn’t unseal until it is cooled, Adil cannot see or even really predict the results of the process – and that’s just what he loves about it. While Adil can guide the final result, he does not dictate it.
“Every result is almost accidental and unexpected,” he said. “You don’t know how it’s going to turn out, and that’s what makes it so satisfying, the moment you remove it from the kiln.”
This means that while the brilliant rainbow raku might seem far removed from its earthy, muted cousin, it is born of the same organic, natural techniques and mindset, using the elements of earth, fire, air and water – and Adil sometimes uses large fallen leaves to cast his pieces also.
“If the colour is too dull, it is possible to refine it by repeating the process,” said Adil. “I only throw away pieces that are broken or cracked.”
In 2013, he started his Benchmark Ceramic Enterprise brand; he’s been exhibiting at various bazaars and trade shows, and you’ll find some pieces available at Kompleks Kraf Kuala Lumpur in Jalan Conlay, and Ninth Gallery in Publika, or online.
In addition to everything from large platters and vases to small plates and vessels, Adil has also started making some jewellery pieces, incorporating raku beads with resin and stones.
“I was invited by the Sarawak Craft Council to teach some crafters there the art of firing, and they made some beads – I realised it was a great way for me to branch out,” he said.
And that rainbow raku certainly has a jewel-like appeal.
FB: Benchmark Ceramic. Call: 011-1142 3587, email to adil_ebad@yahoo.com.
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