Pang’ono, pang’ono

Many people who see my work will know the meaning of the chi Chewa phrase “pang’ono, pang’ono” (little by little). Many more, who have juggled to combine work with the parenting of young children, will perhaps resonate with what it implies.

The African women I grew up with in Malawi seemed effortlessly to accomplish this juggling act: their children were simply with them wherever they worked, whether pounding maize or picking tea or tending subsistence crops. It seems natural for me to try and emulate this pattern since my studio is at home, but, although there are some preparatory things I can do in my studio with a three year old and a ten year old, I find I cannot easily throw at the wheel with them about.

I have recently begun to explore faceting or carving the hand-thrown porcelain piece when it is leather hard. The effect of the liner glaze under the crystal glaze on the faceted surfaces affects the colour and inhibits crystal growth. I am intrigued by the juxtaposition of the carved, plain glazed, and the smooth crystalline surfaces; and I continue to revel in the seemingly infinite color range possible in crystalline glazes.

I am tremendously thankful for the unwavering encouragement and support from my family, and for the chance to work towards being a more complete potter little by little – pang’ono, pang’ono…

~JULIE BROOKE