Pottery is an art form that’s been around for thousands of years. Early Egyptians, Romans, Native Americans and more had gorgeous techniques for making unique vessels.
Potter Vicente Garcia has been making pottery for years. In 1984, he started using a technique inspired by Native American horsehair pottery– using feathers and his own hair to create designs.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bioz9rUnEYL/?taken-by=vicentegarciaart
Garcia fires the pottery at 2,192 degrees F. Once it cools to a certain temperature, he lays either the feathers or hair on the piece, and they instantly go up in smoke, leaving an imprint behind.
“I had to really work on and finally figure out the temperature that the piece has to be at, and the speed that I have to put the feathers and the hair on the piece,” Garcia said.
This precision and timing can make or break the piece as a whole, determining how the decorations burn and if they imprint correctly.
Burning hair may not smell the best, but once he blows away the ashes, he’s left with his gorgeous design!
Needless to say, the interesting technique picked up some traction among the art community.
He was featured in an ART INSIDER video (you can watch below), has amassed over 15,000 Instagram followers, and sells his gorgeous pieces starting at $80 a pop.
He also specializes in sandblasting and Raku firing, which creates insane metallic colors.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bd2x1WWHn20/?taken-by=vicentegarciaart
Check out Garcia’s instagram for more unique pottery. Which technique is your favorite?