The concept presented here was initially driven by an intuition: granite and basalt are volcanic rocks. If clay can be derived from granite, an attempt was made to develop a clay from basalt, borrowing the technologies of ceramists to shape and fire it.
The research presented reveals the development of a new clay inspired by the recipe for porcelain but distinct from it, where the minerals in basalt replace the traditional ingredients, allowing us to transform that stone into ceramics—a new material.
From there, a series of empirical and heuristic tests was undertaken to create a preparation method for volcanic clay called « Vulcan Clay » (as a tribute to the Vulcan team of Katia and Maurice Krafft).
The work includes sourcing, analyzing, and preparing the ingredients and firing techniques to obtain a genuinely volcanic ceramic with 50% to 75% of basalt.
As intuition was confronted with practice, it became necessary to engage ceramists and scientists to understand precisely what happens and how, to guide the material. Navigating in the unknown continues, with back-and-forth exchanges between « know » and « Know-how »—between the artisan’s workshop and the scientist’s laboratory—creating a loop. This dialogue allows for joint progress towards innovation.
It is up to independent creators to investigate and reclaim ceramic clay recipes. This project is an opportunity to bring together scientists and artisans to promote a material with ecological capabilities.
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Video by: @alexandre_costes_@cindyrunli
