Olivier Oet – a raku ceramics artist from the French Republic – spent three weeks (from 9 to 29 September 2013) teaching raku ceramics techniques to students at the Hi Vong Vocational Training and Job Placement Center for people with disabilities – children in difficult circumstances (Hue).
Olivier Oet's aim was to teach very basic, easy techniques to ten students who are deaf and have intellectual disabilities, so that they could create raku ceramics products in their own way, and most importantly to add a new product line helping to diversify the goods produced at the Hi Vong Center.
Having already had to live with difficulties and limitations in every everyday situation, compounded by differences in language and culture, guiding students with intellectual disabilities to make their first products was far from easy. Some students spent day after day moulding and remoulding similar lumps of clay.
Even with the help of Ms. Minh Nhat – a staff member who had also been sent to France for two months of raku ceramics training last year – acting as an intermediary and bridge to the students, Olivier Oet himself had to try very hard, including learning more sign language and overcoming difficulties such as searching many times for a suitable source of clay or finding solutions suited to the rainy, stormy weather in Hue.
And then, through the efforts of both sides to overcome circumstances and conditions, batches of raku ceramics came out of the kiln one after another, to the amazement of both teacher and students.
In Japanese, raku means delight, satisfaction, joy and happiness, and those are also what Olivier Oet achieved for the students during the artist's stay here.
Seeing the students' achievements, Olivier Oet confidently said that their ceramics products would win over customers. What is more, this kiln could be a place for visitors from far and wide to come and make a few raku ceramics souvenirs bearing the Hi Vong ceramics brand – a special mark when visiting the heritage region – the former imperial capital of Hue.
VO XUAN HUY – http://tuoitre.vn