There is a natural effortlessness to the work by Czech potter Jiri Duchek. His forms are pure, and the glazes simple. There seems to be an innate talent. But to call him a natural neglects to recognize the decades of hard work and research that has driven his passion for ceramics. 

Duchek was born in Prague and, after studying ceramics and working in a production pottery, he set up his own pottery in the village of Mutějovice, not far from Prague. While his forms and glazes are largely inspired by the classic ceramics of Asia, he collects his clay from his property and the elements for his glazes from the countryside nearby. 

Ducheck fired this tea bowl in his wood-fuelled kiln at high temperatures. The tea bowl’s high foot reveals not only the warm, iron-rich clay body he uses, but also the trace of wood flame. But it’s the glazing that makes this bowl shine. Duchek first applied a layer of iron slip, over which he added what appears to be an ash glaze similar to nuka. Beautifully crazed milky veils coat the outside walls. But inside, pooling in the bowl’s bottom, the ash glaze forms a glowing pool, like a full moon, or maybe even its reflection.

New from the artist’s studio.