By KATH GANNAWAY
MASTER potter Alistair Whyte is helping revive the lost craft in a village in Vanuatu.
A studio sale of his acclaimed ceramic works this coming weekend will raise funds to help him continue the work he has been doing with the villagers of Malakula for the past six years.
Alistair has a long-standing connection with the South West Bay region of Vanuatu where his father was a missionary over 50 years ago.
“I was a small child, and while my memories are not strong of this period, the stories and pictures of those times were part of my upbringing,” Alistair said.
When he was invited to return, and take along a potter’s wheel, he researched the history of pottery on the island.
The fact that there is a word (nonboi) in the language of the Malakula people that means ‘pottery’ indicated the craft existed.
“They had also been digging up small shards in their bush gardens over many years,” Alistair said, adding that there was also a collection of shards and old pots in the Port Vila museum that had similar colouring to the shards he had received.
The project has evolved from basic hand-building techniques and a craftsman-made kick wheel to a position where villages are now in a position to continuing training and produce simple, saleable pottery.
Alistair’s vision for a sustainable industry was given a huge boost with the last major piece of infrastructure, a substantial wood-firing kiln, built last year.
The need now is for more potters to mentor the villagers and pass on skills.
Ideally, Alistair would like to attract sponsors to help pay for fares and a few other costs.
“Once we got them to the village, the village would look after them,” he said.
In the meantime, Alistair is heading off in June, continuing a commitment that is changing lives through the ancient craft of turning clay into something that is both functional and beautiful.
That combination of functionality and outstanding beauty will be on show, and on sale, at Alistair’s studio, 80 Scotchmans Creek Road, Warburton, from 9am to 5pm on 30 and 31 May.
There are some great bargains to be had, but the greatest return for investment will be making a difference to the lives of the villagers of Malakula, and the joy of owning a thing of lasting beauty.
For more information, visit Alistair Whyte Ceramics on Facebook or phone 0422 084 728.
