Ghaz is a Malaysian/Thai ceramicist based in London.
Contemporary, fun and stylish pieces are Ghaz’s trademark, many influenced by the natural world, particularly from his Asian background. He creates mainly one-off pieces or limited themed collections. Each piece is either thrown on the wheel or hand-built (or sometimes a combination of the two).
We will exhibit his Oishii and Moonlight series of smooth, warm white stoneware vessels, shaped by hand into soft edged organic forms.
“Oishii” is a Japanese i-adjective which means “delicious” or “good-tasting”. It is written in either hiragana as おいしい, or in kanji as 美味しい. The kanji that make up “oishii” are: 美 which means “beautiful”, and 味 which means “taste/flavor”. These kanji can also be read 美味い (umai) which also means delicious or good tasting.
These vessels are decorated with contrasting colours and textures in gloss greens/blues and matt tan-bronze, with occasional breaks to darker streaks or patterns.
Conversely the "Moonlight" glaze design has a rich deep glaze incorporating dark greens, midnight blues, purples and browns creating a near black appearance. Light glaze is then splashed across each piece to create the unique pattern that Ghaz wants to see in this range.
All work is high fired to create tableware that is both functional and decorative.
As well as the traditional glazing and firing techniques used in his functional pieces, Ghaz works regularly in Raku, an exciting Japanese firing process known for its unpredictable outcomes and vivid colours, to produce more ornamental work.
Ghaz enjoyed a successful earlier career in fashion. Having studied in both Kuala Lumpur and London, he focused on eveningwear at several fashion houses ultimately becoming Head Designer in a West End firm.
Ghaz developed a fascination with colour and form during his fashion career and has kept that inspiration in his move to decorative and functional ceramics.