F. Widayanto has been making ceramics for more than 30 years. He graduated from the Faculty of Arts and Design of the prestigious Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB). In his 60’s, he routinely divides his time between his three homes at the studio in Bogor, a gallery in Jakarta and a gallery house in Depok, just outside of Jakarta.

​He is probably the most successful ceramic artist in Indonesia, with sold out shows and a variety of other ceramic related businesses. F. Widayanto’s sculptural works can sell for more than AUD$30,000, but he also caters for domestic needs by producing affordable tableware. He has stayed true to his Javanese heritage and style. He loves incorporating sensuality into his work but admitted that it may not be everyone’s cup of tea. He has experienced censorship with his work (some of them feature topless/scantily clad women) to the extent that at a show he was invited to participate in, his work was hidden behind a screen as it was considered too risqué.

​Looking at his many colourful works, you would never have guessed that he is actually colour-blind. Luckily, he managed to overcome it using techniques taught by a friend whose father was a doctor.

What I found refreshing about F. Widayanto is his open minded view on ceramics as a business. He stated that even though ceramics is his passion, he has to make a living out of his passion.

He unabashedly calls himself a whore when it comes to his art as there is no limit to what he will do to sell his own expression of art. He makes ceramic tableware, wall installation, sculpture, indoor decorations, plumbing fittings and decorations for outdoor landscaping. He also branches out to food catering, interior design, landscape design, wedding organising and floral arrangements. Regardless of what he does, he has always managed to incorporate his own unique style and art into them. 

F. Widayanto’s studio is located in an isolated valley with a river running through it. Inspired by his trip to Shoji Hamada’s studio in Japan, he purchased the land 25 years ago and gradually expanded as he built his studio and home there. 
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The studio is spacious and open, flowing to the natural surroundings outside. Seating areas are scattered all around the studio grounds, to allow people to enjoy the beautiful views. There is a sense of tranquillity, a fitting environment for such an artist. Everywhere, the works of F. Widayanto are visible as part of the landscape.

​F. Widayanto has more than 40 people working at the studio. Since almost all of them are locally from the area, some of the workers are related to each other. All the workers were trained in house at the studio. I was told that because they are so well trained, competitors would approach the workers to entice them to work for the competition.

The studio is divided into sections: clay processing, moulding, throwing, glazing and firing, decoration, sculpture, jewellery and finishing. Each section has a team leader responsible for the work. And at the time I was there, there was a supervisor and a supervisor-in-training who runs the well-organised studio. 
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The workers mainly work on the regular products, replicating previous works with a degree of creative freedom as long as it achieves the required quality and in the style of F. Widayanto. The tools used in the studio are a mix of bought and handmade tools. Some of the workers are skilled in making tools from materials such as bamboo and metal bits from broken umbrellas.

The studio is very efficient with its materials, and avoids excessive wastage. All clay scraps are collected and reprocessed for use. With glazes, instead of wiping excess glaze with a wet sponge, they are scraped off with a wooden stick and the dust collected into a big bucket at the end of the day. Once they have enough, the glaze dust is mixed with water and then tested to make a one-off unique glaze. 
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Instead of using an airbrush gun, glaze spraying is done manually using a toothbrush and a needle tool. They have used airbrush guns before, but it often jammed and required lots of maintenance. Although it is a slower process in comparison to using an airbrush gun, it is an effective method with a better control of the spraying. 

Fifteen minutes before the end of each day, everyone stops work and clean their benches, store their works, sweep and mop the floors so that they can start work afresh the next day. It was fascinating to watch the process; it was like a synchronised dance of cleaning where everyone knew what to do to complete the task within the time.
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In the short two weeks at the studio of F. Widayanto, I gained knowledge and skills that would help me with my own ceramic work. But most importantly, I was presented with a different, more pragmatic perspective on how I could develop and shape ceramic as a business. It was an experience I would always cherish as I go on my ceramic journey.

I am forever grateful for F. Widayanto for allowing me the opportunity to visit his studio, and thankful to everyone at the studio and the main office for all their help. And a special thank you to Dr Andi Hudono, who welcomed me into his home to view his collection of F. Widayanto’s artworks. 

For more information on F. Widayanto, visit www.fwidayanto.com.

This is a bit of a late post - I went to Darwin in March but since I've been busy/sick with project baby I haven't had the chance to write this.

Going to the Museum and Art Gallery of The Northern Territory (MAGNT) was a nice artistic experience for me, a respite from the hot weather outside.

One of the most prominent feature of the MAGNT was the Cyclone Tracy Gallery, dedicated to the people of Darwin who experienced the cyclone on Christmas Eve 1974. There are two parts to the Gallery, one featuring the arts/artefacts associated with the cyclone, and a second section exploring the architectural history of Darwin before and after the cyclone. There is also a sound room where visitors can hear the recording of the cyclone. It was so eerie to listen to the recording and I could just imagine the fear and chaos at that time. 

Going through the MAGNT, I of course kept an eye out for ceramic works. I was very pleased to see some works by indigenous artists. I love the colours on these works.

There was also an exhibition of Rob Brown at MAGNT when I visited. He had some very cheeky works! There was a whole series called Cooking with Noah where he portrayed animals with different body parts. The one pictured below on the right look innocent enough from afar until you take a closer look. 

A couple weeks ago, my husband and I went on a short break to the South Coast. On the way, we stopped at Milton for lunch and stumbled upon a little pottery gallery run by the Nulladolla Pottery Group. 

The site used to be a TAFE facility. When TAFE closed their doors, the local potters benefited by taking over the site, including almost all of the facilities.

While I was there, there was a member working on her piece and she kindly allowed me to take a photo.

What really caught my eyes are these raku pieces. Chris explained that they are horse hair raku pottery. I love the final result.

The gallery itself isn't very big, but it is filled with lots of beautiful pottery made by the members. There is a nice variety of wares for sale, and they are very affordable. 

Visitors are very welcome to the Group and I would highly recommend if you are looking for nice handmade pottery. If you wish to visit or find out more information, their details are:

Courtyard Studios
Milton, NSW 2538
Ph: (02) 44541518
Email: nulladollapottery@gmail.com