What do you get when you cross an incredible talent for pottery with the philosophy that the functional items we reach for everyday should be a piece of accessible art at our very finger tips? You get redraku…
redraku ceramics are a perfect marriage of history and the present moment.
Meet redraku
The Clontarf-based creative duo bringing life and art to tableware and ceramics.
If you have frequented businesses such as Flock Eatery or Neli Coffee, you may have already come face to face (or fork to plate, or mouth to cup) with the creative work of redraku ~ neo-traditional ceramic artist.
Creating daily-use pieces such as plates, bowls and mugs at affordable prices for both personal purchases and commercial use at cafes, redraku’s pottery pieces bring elements of minimalist lines, an honour of empty spaces and modern glazing techniques together – creating pieces that add a touch of art to every bite and every sip.
Not stopping there though, redraku skilfully create bespoke jewellery, delivering big, bright statement pieces to those looking for something unique.
Peninsula Life sat down with Ally, one half of the dynamic redraku, to get the run down on all things pottery.
How did redraku come to be?
“I started making ceramic jewellery and hand-built sculptures for the garden four years ago. My husband Barnaby started as a production potter in his 20s in New Zealand. He worked for some big potteries and has thrown thousands of plates over the span of his career!
I guess what really triggered our journey was how hard I fell for clay as a medium when returning to university and taking sculpture as an elective. My passion reignited Barnaby’s flame for wheel work and thrust us into a new business which has grown at an exciting and super fun pace.
We are now based in an industrial art space in Clontarf where we make and fire all our items. We also won the National Craft Pottery Award in 2018 which was incredible! It was a cash prize and we used this to buy an electric kiln for doing real gold lustre firings. Exciting!”
How would you describe your style?
“Our pottery embraces traditional wheel thrown forms with minimalist lines and an honouring of the empty space that makes a vessel so lovely to look at as well as to hold. Combined with modern glazing techniques, redraku ceramics are a perfect marriage of history and the present moment.”
What is it like working in the creative industry?
“Between Barnaby and I, we work nights on top of our days developing new forms, examining functionality, experimenting with glaze recipes and talking, lots of talking with completely muddy hands.”
redraku’s pottery is for sale in over 30 cafes, coffee houses and specialty gift stores in every state of Australia and they take many custom orders daily.
“If local people want to check out our products, Flock Eatery and Neli Coffee stock our togocups (one of our most popular pieces) all year round. There is often a selection to choose from and we regularly restock – they go so fast, especially in this lead up to Christmas! Other than that, the best way to make contact or purchase something is via Instagram or our website.”
You can check out more of redraku’s work, or purchase some of their incredible products via the following contact details
www.redraku.com
Instagram: @redraku
redraku@yahoo.com.au
