Pots of Gold

Passion entails a lot of hard work. Through the years of making pottery, blessings come effortlessly. It’s been twelve years since I started learning this traditional craft. I have yet to learn countless techniques, ideas, knowledge, and experience failure and success. I take each challenge with perseverance and hope. And I receive them all as gifts, that would help me, grow as an artist.

I always tell friends, relatives, and acquaintances, when we work hard – people will see and people will discover us. Of course we have to do our part and let them know that we exist, doing what we do. But doing something is different from being passionate.

I do what I do, making pots, because of many reasons. One of which, is this big responsibility (which I love), to use a skill that was given to me so freely. Making pots is my number one passion. Second is teaching how to make them.

I am getting e-mails from different magazines in Manila, and asking if I have photos that I could send them. I ask them, what they are going to use it for, and they say it’s for a small feature about Ceramics in their magazine. Excited (and always am), I send my pictures as soon as possible.

Dwell Asia magazine (March/April issue), features “Pots of Gold: We’ve picked out nine outstanding individual pieces by pottery artists from around the region.” One of the nine works are my handmade bowls. I created each one, not just with passion, but with a lot of emotions, which I intend to apply to each of them.

Unique Ceramics from around the world are highly influenced by what we see and feel. In each country in Asia, Potters have ideas on how to apply their “signature” on the pots. A lot are continuously working with traditional influences, and countless potters are now creating modern Ceramics.

 I am a big fan of modern ceramics. I have seen a lot of very interesting pieces online, magazines, and past trips. I am looking forward to discovering more on my future trips in Manila and abroad. I admire how a simple piece can look absolutely stunning on its own, or with a whole set. It takes a lot of courage to create something that doesn’t appear too planned out. I myself, like my works that I haven’t thought of too much. I simply go with the flow and listen to my clay instincts, and directly create how it wants to be formed. While others, in fact a lot of Potters, plan their work with a big amount of time.

Dwell Asia, Thank You for believing in my work!

The summer season means one thing in my vocabulary: Teaching. I am spending most of my time teaching, and I am looking forward to creating more unique ceramics in the months to come. If a lot of people are waiting to see my collection, I am being patient for my own works too : ) And to those who are very supportive with what I do, and are as passionate as I am with Ceramics, Thank You, for never failing to encourage me to keep doing what I love doing the most: Transforming clay.