Terra-cotta
Terra cotta is an Italian word meaning "baked (cotta)" and "earth (terra)", and is a modeling technique that has been used since ancient times in many parts of the world.
At the University of Tsukuba's Sculpture Department, students create terracotta sculptures in the "Terracotta Practice" (undergraduate) and "Terracotta Production" (graduate school) classes.
In the class, students will use terracotta clay to make shapes by twisting strings and boards by hand, and to create shapes by pouring clay into plaster molds that can be separated. Clay shows different expressions depending on the firing temperature, and in the class, clay will be fired at low temperatures of about 800℃ and high temperatures of about 1200℃, exploring the expression of the material's texture.
For their graduation and completion projects, some students attempt to create works that are larger than they are tall.
◇ Related courses
Faculty: Terracotta Seminar
Graduate School: Terracotta Making
Classroom Scene
