What is Handbuilt Pottery?

A lot of people ask me about difference between handbuilt pottery and wheel pottery. In this post, I’m going to talk about same.

What is Handbuilt Pottery?

Pottery objects that are made entirely using different handbuilding techniques and that too without using pottery wheel.

What is Handbuilding Technique?

Handbuilding is an ancient form of pottery. Our ancestors used handbuilding techniques to make kitchen utensils and other decoration items.  Over the years, ceramic artists have used these techniques to create some exciting form of contemporary ceramics. 

Some of the popular handbuilding techniques are Slab building, Coiling, and Pinching. Apart from these techniques, artists have invented many handbuilding and surface decoration techniques and have created some exciting range of work and expression.

How it is different from Wheel Pottery?
Wheel Pottery comes to our mind when we hear the word "pottery". This is the popular method for shaping clay and requires pottery wheel for shaping circular objects.

In handbuilt pottery, different hand techniques are used to shape pottery objects. The brownie point is that apart from circular shapes, you can also make rectangular and square shapes. Handbuilding and wheel work can also be clubbed together to create amazing piece of art work.

Handbuilt Pottery

Wheel Work

What can we make using handbuilding techniques?

With handbuilding, you can make variety of pottery objects like flower vases, tiles, tea coasters, masks, wind chimes, lamps, animal shaped pen holder, wall art, etc.

Do we require special tools to do handbuilding?

No. Handbuilding can be practiced at home on a small workstation. With simple tools (from day to day life), you can make beautiful pottery pieces and do wonders with a lump of clay.

My first date with handbuilding technique:

I can still recall my first day in Pottery class when Meena mam taught me first handbuilding technique. Like most of you, even I had perceived wheel as the only way to make pottery. I wasn’t aware of handbuilding pottery. And that was my first introduction with handbuilding technique and somehow it just clicked my mind that I’ve to pursue this form of art in the long run. And here I’m today!!

Happy Claying!!