Raku means Joy

Steve Sanders Raku

If you’re interested in purchasing a piece of my work please contact me first.

Purchase some of the most distinctive Raku pottery in the world… For Yourself or Someone You Love.

The Collections

Click one of the pieces below to explore one of six Raku collections in the Shop.

My Raku

Raku means "Joy" or "Pleasure" in Japanese.

It is my way to express my creativity and imagination. I enjoy creating something new, unique, and beautiful. Raku is the most dynamic and exciting type of ceramics. The results are sensitive to subtle differences in the firing or glazing process. Often unexpected, perhaps even magical results happen. Firing Raku for me is an active process. I gradually raise and lower the heat, watch, and react to achieve the desired goal. It is a constant learning process with plenty of failures and, surprising and beautiful results. It is my Raku dance and I invite you to join in my experience of joy.

I produce a variety of vessel forms, including some that are very unique. My goal is to provide you with a ceramic artistic statement. A piece of artwork that stands out and captures attention. I want to provide you with something distinctive and special. Something to make you feel good and bring you…Raku!

Each of the Raku styles shown in the COLLECTIONS section exemplifies one of the types of Raku that I produce in my studio.

To learn more about the techniques I use to produce each style and to see more examples, please click one of these links.

Or… visit my Shop now to begin your exploration of Sanders Raku to grace your home or office or to give as a gift to someone you treasure.

The Raku Process

All in a days work at the kiln

The Raku process is unusual because it involves firing up to 2,000 degrees in as little as 30 minutes! Pieces undergo thermal shock unusual in the world of pottery. Pieces are quickly fired, then pulled from the kiln with tongs, and placed into a container with some newspaper or other combustible material. The hot piece naturally sets this material on fire. The chamber is then closed, and without oxygen, the fire goes out, leaving the pot bathed in smoke.

The magic of my styles of Raku comes from the chemical reaction called reduction. The denial of oxygen (reduction) caused by the smoke brings out the metallic lusters and colors from the copper contained in the glazes I use. The result can be beautiful, even magical. I call it the Alchemy of Fire!

There are many Raku techniques. They all produce some of the most unusual, exciting effects possible in pottery. The goal is always the same…Raku … Joy & Pleasure!