The Raku Ho‘olaule‘a That Almost Wasn’t
By MidWeek Staff
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By Dustin Miyakawa
For the first time in 35 years, Hawaii Craftsmen’s Raku Ho’olaule’a almost never happened.
Potters and sculptors led by Hawaii’s top raku artists have gathered each summer on Windward shores for a weekend of raku firing, camping, music and festivities that culminate in a juried exhibition at the Arts at Mark’s Garage. It’s one of Hawaii’s most public and well-attended events, so when budget cuts threatened this year, independent artists committed to organize and fund it in conjunction with parent organization Hawaii Craftsmen.
“We started as an allvolunteer group, and now we’ve returned to our roots,” said board member and former HC president Jackie Mild-Lau. “There was a real spirit of help this year, and everyone contributed what they could.”
“Raku is like wood-firing,” explained Daven Hee, locally renowned artist and instructor who led a group of students from the University of Hawaii to Waimanalo Bay State Recreation Area June 3-5. “It’s a communal activity that brings us together for a single purpose. But we don’t have big, wood-fired kilns here. We raku on the beach.”
Seven groups attended this year, from UH Manoa, Windward and Leeward community colleges, Hawaii Potter’s Guild, Jeff Chang Pottery, Honolulu Academy of Arts and other independent studios. Each group paid for its own fuel, food, transportation and equipment in order to continue the unique art tradition.
“Raku provides the best opportunity for sustaining the sense of community among the many individuals and groups that make up Hawaii Craftsmen,” said HC president Kay Mura. Ceramic artists agreed with her that sharing in the creative experience and renewing personal connections was worth continuing.
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Raku means “enjoyment” or “ease” and is deeply rooted in the Japanese tea ceremony. Tea master Hideyuki Yoshida from the international Urasenke Foundation juried a category for work designed specifically for tea, and selected works are on view alongside more contemporary pieces at the final exhibition, which closes Saturday at Mark’s Garage downtown. The contemporary category was juried by Esther Shimazu, Carl Fieber and Ken Kang, three local ceramic artists and past event organizers.
The beach ho’olaule’a draws from ancient firing methods of Japan as well as Western-style raku born in the 1960s. The blending of both techniques reflects Hawaii’s affinity for cultural and artistic fusion, making it a venue for experimentation, creative expression and fine craft executed at the highest level.
UH BFA graduate Lauren Jo won the annual Award for Excellence with a series of skeletal structures supported by nichrome armatures a piece standing in sharp contrast against a field of crisply thrown vessels and figurative, handbuilt sculptures.
Despite the hardships, which included flooded tents and firing in a thunderstorm, Hawaii’s artists prevailed, and organizers have already begun planning for 2012, with a focus on cutting costs and changing venues.
“It’s part of our survival,” said Mild-Lau.
Dustin Miyakawa is a UH art student and coleader of the college’s participating artists at Raku Ho’olaule’a 2011.
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