Watchfire, a group exhibition that brings together five artists who have each made a critical contribution to the development of contemporary ceramic art in the Philippines: Tessy Pettyjohn, Jon Pettyjohn, and Joey de Castro of the Philippines, Shozo Michikawa of Japan, and Alvin Tan Teck Heng of Singapore. For this exhibition, these five artists were invited to participate in an anagama wood firing at the studio of fellow ceramic artist Pablo Capati III. Each artist contributed to the kiln a number of works that had been formed and biscuit fired in their individual studios. Once the firing was underway, they then worked in shifts to stoke and watch over the fire until the process was complete. The works from this collective endeavor are exhibited in Watchfire, alongside a small number of works from the artists’ studios.

Incorporating work from an anagama firing collectively undertaken, Watchfire examines the role of both the individual and the collective in building a ceramic art scene in the Philippines that is collaborative yet independent, locally engaged yet highly international. Furthermore, this exhibition examines how the participating artists successfully balance collaborative action with their own individual artistic identities.

In the Philippines, working with clay demands a greater level of collaboration than other disciplines. Commercially made materials are harder to come by than in other parts of the world, so it makes sense to pool resources and share facilities. The culture of collectivism born of this necessity has resulted in productive and lasting working relationships within the ceramics community, and between the artists in this exhibition.

Collectivism in the Philippine ceramic art scene has paradoxically also created a certain degree of independence. The relationships born of this approach to art-making have seen Filipino ceramic artists forge their own international networks and opportunities independent of art world structures and hierarchies – a critical contribution to the Philippine art scene that is yet to be fully recognized.  

While these artists work across a number of firing techniques, the ancient practice of anagama wood firing can be seen as the core collaborative endeavor that has facilitated, deepened, and sustained the relationships between them. The Philippines’ first anagama kiln was born of a collaborative act, when in 2000 the Japanese artist Shozo Michikawa helped Jon and Tessy Pettyjohn to build one at their studio in Laguna.  Two years later Michikawa provided Capati with the plans for what was to become the country’s second anagama kiln. This marked the beginning of the Batangas ceramics studio, which is today an important site for wood firing in Asia and where the works in this exhibition were fired.

Anagama kilns are typically fired for a number of days, in order to reach and sustain temperatures high enough to melt the wood-ash circulating within, thereby creating a natural glaze. Firings are therefore collaborative endeavors, with multiple participants working in shifts to watch and stoke the fire. Each anagama kiln is its own beast and the firing process cannot be entrusted to the uninitiated. This means the usual suspects are regularly called upon; Filipino potter Joey de Castro has participated in countless firings at the studios of Capati and the Pettyjohns, while in recent years Singaporean artist Alvin Tan Teck Heng has frequently travelled to the Philippines to take part. When, in 2016, the Pettyjohns undertook a residency in Shigaraki, Japan, Capati and Teck Heng flew over to assist with the final wood firing. The anagama firing that took place for this exhibition is therefore emblematic of the practices and relationships that have shaped ceramics in the Philippines over the past two decades.

For any artist working in any discipline, collectivist approaches to art making come with a degree of risk, namely the loss of artistic identity. Sharing resources, techniques and facilities requires considerable self-confidence; it requires the firm belief that even if someone knows what you know and has what you have, they still can’t do what you do. While this exhibition considers the importance of collectivist approaches to art-making, it also demonstrates the strength of these artists as individuals, and their individual contributions in pushing the boundaries of contemporary ceramic art in the Philippines.

Words by Anna O’Loughlin and Mark Valenzuela

For over a decade, potter Joey de Castro has dedicated himself to teaching pottery and living out its long and exacting process. An advocate of its traditional methods, Joey literally builds everything from the ground up. From making his own mixture of clay, glazes, and tools – _every ingredient is painstakingly prepared and created. A consummate potter, Joey single-handedly monitors the kiln temperature when firing which usually lasts a minimum of eight hours and up to 24 hours. He takes no shortcuts and makes no compromises, bringing a very personal touch to all his works. Joey has been actively participating and spearheading the movement to unify the local community of stoneware potters. His aim is to put pottery to the level of awareness of the regular Filipino, and distinguish the artist from the artisan. This commitment and passion to the art brought him teaching stints in the UP College of Fine Arts beginning 2009, and the opening of his own Sierra Madre Pottery Studio in 2011.

Keeping this singular goal in mind led him to opening his own gallery – _Sierra Madre Gallery – _a gallery dedicated exclusively to Filipino ceramic art, and a platform for emerging Filipino ceramicists to showcase their works to a wider audience.

Shozo Michikawa was born in Hokkaido, the most northern area of Japan, in 1953. After graduating from Aoyama Gakuin University in 1975, he settled his base of ceramics activity at Seto, Aichi. His exhibitions are held widely in Japan and countries like Philippines, Mongolia, France, USA, and the UK.

Jon Pettyjohn (b.1950, Okinawa, Japan) and Tessy Pettyjohn (b. 1948, Manila, Philippines) are at the forefront of ceramic arts in the Philippines. Their pottery school has educated many on the techniques that they've developed over the years which focus on the use of uniquely Filipino materials.

Alvin Tan Teck Heng’s twenty-year long love affair with pottery began on a whim, when a friend brought him to Sam MuiKwang Pottery, a multi-generational family of potters in Singapore. It was there that he commenced five years of intensive study under a master potter. Since this time, Teck Heng has exhibited widely in his home country and internationally, including solo exhibitions in Singapore, the Philippines, and Australia.  He was the recipient of prestigious awards at the 4thGlobal Art Movement Competition at Toyota City Museum, Japan, and the Golden Teapot Competition organized by Ying Ge Museum, Taiwan. In addition to his individual art practice, Teck Heng co-founded the first registered pottery club in Singapore, the Nanyang Clay Group, and has played a lead role in organising many ceramic exhibitions and events throughout Asia. He lives and works in Singapore, but frequently travels to work overseas where access to different resources widens his creative possibilities.

Established in 2013, Tropical Blaze is an international wood firing workshop that is held twice a year. The initiative is led by ceramic artist Pablo Capati III and takes place at his studio in San Jose, Batangas, Philippines. For each workshop, a small number of local and international artists are invited to undertake a residency at the studio andbparticipate in an anagama wood firing. While undertaking the residency, the selected artists also provide workshops, demonstrations, and mentoring for invited emerging artists and students. The Ceramics Department of the University of the Philippines is a regular participant in Tropical Blaze, recognising the valuable learning opportunity this model provides for their students. Tropical Blaze facilitates an open exchange of ideas, techniques and experience among professional practicing artists, recent graduates, and students alike.

Boxplot is a flexible curatorial project aimed at providing artists from Australia and Southeast Asia with opportunities for collaboration, exhibition and exchange. Founded in 2013 by Mark Valenzuela and Anna O’Loughlin, the project began with a series of independent exhibitions held in alternative spaces in Adelaide that connected artists from Australia and the Philippines. Since this time, Boxplot has focused on curating exhibitions and associated activities in partnership with art spaces in Australia, the Philippines and Singapore.

Boxplot has provided curatorial support for Tropical Blaze since its inception and facilitated the participation of numerous Australian artists. While the proposed exhibition sits outside of Boxplot’s immediate remit, it can be seen as a continuation of the existing partnership between the two projects. Aside from his own art practice, Valenzuela specialises in curating contemporary ceramics, while O’Loughlin has written about Philippine art for a wide range of publications in her capacity as an arts writer.