Jan Pávek

Jan Pávek, similar to me, found tea before he found pottery. Growing up in Czech Republic, a country with its unique tea culture and ceramics scene, Jan decided early — despite dissuasions — to go for the pinnacle of Japanese wood-firing: the Anagama kiln. His approach to firing unglazed pieces for several days by burning a lot of wood creates unmistakable results. Guided by his own aesthetic views and supported by his engineering background, he is able to differentiate himself with an ever-evolving unique and distinctive style. Jan's works can evoke a multitude of associations. Every piece at its core is like a landscape. Depending on the underlying clay we can find a multitude of surface textures and shades in every single piece, from earthy tones to red flashings, from green moss to blue-grey craquelé. Jan Pávek himself is practitioner and student of Chado in the tradition of the lesser known Ueda Sūko Ryū, a warrior tea school originating in Hiroshima, Japan. Once again the practice precedes and feeds the process of the creation of the utensils. Being a wood-firing artist, Jan puts a lot of effort into finding the right clays for his creations. The persistent heat of the Anagama means pieces have to endure several days at 1300°C. Over time Jan realised that he wanted control over the whole process. Hence he continuously experiments with new local clays as well as porcelains to achieve new and desired results. Artist statement: "I dig clay from the Earth. From the Earth, where it rests countless years. It is a part of the nature around us. I mix it with water and other materials to achieve the best qualities. I transform this raw clay to the soft clay that is a joy to hold in hands. The fire is another natural element. In my anagama kiln the fire brings the pots to life and the ash from burning wood falls and melts on the pots and creates natural wild glaze. This magical process takes several days. After that it is not the end — it is the beginning of the pot's life." — Jan Pávek