Pit-fired pottery

Ama potter uses Raku, a Japanese pottery technique, to create unique works of art

At the center of the art world there lies a vast array of technique, talent and craftsmanship that can only be found within the creative mind of an artist.

And if beautifully-glazed handmade pottery is what you’re searching for, then look no further than the ceramic studio of potter Brandon Zeringue.

Zeringue, a native and resident of Ama, initially became familiar with the elements of pottery in 2004 while enrolled at Nicholls State University and says that the first memories he has of sculpting mud are from when he was a child.

“I grew up along the Mississippi River and always played with clay,” said Zeringue. “The backyard had clay. The front yard had clay. I had clay.”

Zeringue says that crawfish would dig tunnels and slap the mud to the surface. The openings that reached the grass would then be left like cold, wet chimneys to dry in the sun.

“Some of them became dogs and dinosaurs, and the clay monsters were shot down by BB guns,” said Zeringue.

Zeringue has since come a long way from his childhood artistry and has found a niche in the technique of Raku pottery.

“My early Raku works were purely sculptural,” said Zeringue. “In college I learned to fire clay and make it more permanent. A lot of the focus was on sculpture and printmaking.”

Zeringue says that he learned proper clay building techniques from Jean Donegan and how to make wheel-thrown pottery and fire gas kilns from Jeff Brown.

“I garden a lot now, so most of my recent work has focused on planters,” he said.

Raku is a form of Japanese pottery characterized by low-firing temperatures – which results in a fairly porous body – glazes and the removal of pieces from the kiln while still glowing hot.

“After the pottery is removed from the kiln, they are placed in combustibles, allowed to burn and then covered to finish cooling,” said Zeringue. “Most people use sawdust, but I mostly use newspaper and have experimented with plants.”

Zeringue says that the transition from the university’s impressive ceramics set up to his present-day studio has taken time, finance and creativity.

“I’ve had some art teaching jobs and worked in the food industry, but eventually found, bought or built all the things I needed for a full ceramics setup,” said Zeringue. “It’s a growing organism within itself, feeding and growing.”

Zeringue finds his art moving in the direction of lamp design and plans to also begin making food-safe pottery as soon as he can build a hotter kiln.

“Raku lends well to things of this nature because it’s porous,” said Zeringue. “But a hotter kiln would render the clay non-porous and safe for food.”

Although Zeringue still finds his career in its infancy, he says he has found success.

“I would have to say that I have been very successful in the early stages,” said Zeringue. “Acquiring the most necessary components for a studio was a hurdle, but now I have a full seed to grow from.”

Zeringue, who has recently joined the St. Charles Art Guild and sits on the board for the Houma Arts Council, says that he’s looking forward to networking and playing a larger role in the art community.

“I want to make pottery that people will take home and interact with,” said Zeringue.” The modern world is full of disposable items. I’d like to have something of quality that becomes cared for and used for some time.”

Zeringue’s ultimate goal is to be creative and build a lifestyle that harmonizes work, travel, health, fitness and his ecological footprint.

“I would like to see people making container gardens,” said Zeringue. “Using nice ceramic planters to grow their vegetables.”

And with the completion of each project, Zeringue says that there is a fulfilling sense of satisfaction.

“When the Raku has cooled I scrub it in the sink. It’s always exciting to see what happened to the clay and glaze in the smoke, in the dark, without oxygen,” said Zeringue. “There’s a lot of room for experimentation and I get a lot of fulfillment from feeding my curiosity.”

To see more of Zeringue’s work, visit www.BrandonZeringue.Esty.com.