'The Fenix' is the Olde English spelling of the phoenix, the mythical bird that rose from the ashes.
This organisation is based in South Africa and employs up to 30 people (mostly women and single mothers) in an area of high unemployment, providing ongoing training, access to medical facilities and assistance with loans. They also mentor employees in life and financial skills. More than half the employees have been working with them for 10 years. The families of longer serving employees have been assisted in funeral and ongoing living expenses.
The Production Process
All products are handmade and hand decorated and each piece passes through the hands of at least eight skilled artisans through the production process, which involves a number of stages, including:
- creating a solid model which is used to make a mould
- after each item is removed from the mould, excess clay is removed and the items are smoothed and a pattern is then etched into the wet clay
- after the clay is dried, items undergo the first firing, also called the bisque firing, in an electric kiln at a temperature of 1000°C
- the fired items, known as ‘bisque ware', are hand painted with Raku glaze
- the painted items undergo a second 'Raku' firing in a gas kiln and then cooled slightly, and the glaze cracks
- the hot items are then smoldered in a drum of sawdust where smoke blackens the fine cracks as well as the unglazed surfaces
This process is largely uncontrolled and slight imperfections make every piece a unique, ‘one of a kind’
