June 2012 - Posts
On Thursday, June 28, the blessing ceremony for the new Cambodian wood fire kiln took place in Lowell. In order to ensure a successful project, the potters Yary Livan and Proeung Kang made offerings and prayed to the designer of Angkor Wat, King Suryavarman
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On a planning day, before the official start of kiln building, Yary Livan (left) and Proeung Kang (on right) lay out the footprint of the kiln using tape. The walls will be 9 inches thick; this equals the length of one fire brick, or the width of two
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Summer 2010, during a Fulbright Hayes trip to Cambodia, I had the pleasure of meeting Proeung Kang where he teaches ceramics at the Secondary School of Fine Arts. Here we are in front of the ceramics studio. This tall vase is in a traditional form, but
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The prefab storage shed is assembled on site. All set for the next step.
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The roof is shed style, with a 4 / 12 slope. The roof will protect the bricks from the weather, and protect the crew as they stoke the fire. We estimate the kiln will require 10 hours to come to temperature; crew members will form teams and work shifts,
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The Cambodian style wood burning kiln produces unique ash glazes and aesthetic effects distinctly different from other Asian traditions. Yary’s kiln is a cross draft kiln, with a sprung arch ware chamber modeled after kilns used in Cambodia during
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The 12 inch thick foundation is poured. That's Yary on the right video taping the process. Hours before, he followed Cambodian tradition and placed coins for good luck at the bottom of the excavation. The foundation is surrounded by a paved work area.
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