The research begins with the soil.
I searched for wild clay in the area, collected small samples, filtered out the impurities, and processed them.
​Then I prepared the first test samples to be fired at different temperatures in order to assess the characteristics of the clay: plasticity, maximum firing temperature, shrinkage factor, etc.
The first firing tests did not bring good results.
I carried on with the research, trying adjustments to the clay by adding other natural materials. After several attempts, I came to the conclusion that the clay I had found did not have the right qualities to make it workable.
I understood that I had to follow the territory and the character of its materials.
My project is not about finding the “best” clay to work with, it is about the land itself, and the story it carries.
It is a four-hands project, created in collaboration with nature. This makes the creative process more unexpected and joyful. It is not my will that imposes itself on the material, but rather me following its characteristics, giving them a voice.
I decided to test the same clay as a glaze and I discovered that it worked perfectly. From there, I continued experimenting, combining the clay with other local materials, until I found the recipe for what I call the "Abacena Glaze".
