TO MAKE POTTERY, one must understand the nature of Earth, of clay, more fundamentally. It starts with sourcing the right body from five main clay types: earthenware, stoneware, ball, fire and kaolin. Several criteria guide this selection; these include the making process, the size and form of work, and the kiln type and its temperature limits.1
The clay body you find locally is relatively rough and cracks easily; it has to be combined with other clay types for the shape to hold, explains master potter Ooi Woi Leng.
Once the clay body is prepared, it is thrown on the potter's wheel for artistic shaping. This is followed by the drying process which can take up to a week; once the clay object has hardened into "leather"2, it is trimmed to remove excess clay, and reshaped if desired.
