Steven Branfman, American (b. 1953)

A Raku Vessel (#1527)

2025 

About the work

Created by Steven Branfman, this raku vessel is defined by a robust ovoid body rising into a tall, slender neck, creating a strong contrast between mass and vertical lift. The form emphasizes contained interior volume, with the swelling belly and narrow throat articulating inward pressure as the primary driver of the vessel’s outward shape.

The surface is heavily worked and deeply textured, with carved and built up passages that expose warm earthen tones beneath a dominant matte black skin. These irregular, fractured patterns suggest eroded rock faces, charred bark, and geological strata, evoking natural processes of compression, rupture, and weathering. The tactile surface reads as both assertive and deliberate, reinforcing the physicality of the forming process.

The neck and foot remain dark and relatively smooth, providing visual restraint and anchoring the richly disrupted body. Rooted in functional vessel traditions yet resolved as sculpture, the work reflects Branfman’s mature engagement with raku firing, where control, spontaneity, and material response are held in careful balance.

Dimensions

43.2cm(h) x 30.5cm(w)

Weight: approx. 5kg 

Footnote

Steven Branfman received his Masters Degree from Rhode Island School Of Design in 1975 and has earned an international reputation as a clay artist. In 1977 he founded The Potters Shop and School in Needham, Massachusetts, USA, and has taught widely, including at Thayer Academy in Massachusetts since 1978. A member of the International Academy Of Ceramics, he has also held significant roles in several ceramics organizations. His Raku ware has been exhibited internationally and is included in collections such as the American Museum Of Ceramic Art and The Alfred Ceramic Art Museum. Branfman is the author of four books and a sought after workshop presenter in the United States and worldwide.