GALLERY

EMILY STRACEY

Emily graduated from the Crew and Alsager Faculty of Manchester Metropolitan University in 1994 with a Degree in Crafts. Since graduating she has exhibited her ceramics and textiles regularly at galleries around the country. She is also involved with education work, running workshops and after school clubs

The four legg'd standing ceramics cats are hand built so each piece is individual in character. Emily gives each a different name on a name tag around each cats neck.

The cats are raku fired. Raku meaning 'happiness through chance' involves removing pots from the kiln at around 950oC, and placing them into a combustible material, usually sawdust. This catches fire and the surface of the pot becomes carbonised and this washes off when the pot is cool. The rapid cooling of the glaze causes it to crack and the carbon is trapped in these cracks highlighting and enhancing them. The Raku process does not allow the artist to produce identical pieces each time. The beauty of this is that each piece will be truly unique.