Fayetteville, Arkansas artist, Don Nibert, has won many awards at art festivals, including the Bentonville, Arkansas Art Show as well as an Arkansas Foundation Grant recipient. He is a member of a traditional Celtic band, the Mudlarks. He has played fiddle, violin, penny whistle, and guitar for many Arkansas events. Don Nibert's raku fired work is elevated to the status of sculpture with the addition of unique welded found metal stands. Nibert possesses a mastery of the raku technique, and is an award winning ceramic artist. Don Nibert's ceramic art is sold in galleries and art festivals, and can be purchased by contacting the artist from this online gallery. Don Nibert's studio, Altered Earth Pottery, is located on South College in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Raku is a centuries-old Japanese firing process characterized by low firing temperatures and the dramatic effects of removing the works from the kiln while glowing hot. Contemporary American Raku is achieved through a unique ceramic firing process. The glaze, called copper mat, dry copper, flash, or flash-in-trash produces astounding colors. Nibert's expert timing in post reduction produces an atypical color response. Typically, raku utilizing the copper mat glaze produces reds, and irridescents. Don Nibert mastery has the unique coloring of warm browns, golds, greens, dark purples, and yellow ochre, It is earthen toned raku ware.

Nibert's raku pottery is an artistic endeavor which combines performance art with pottery. The raku firing process is to traditional high firing as jazz is to classical music. There are too many variables for scientific control of the material. Nibert uses his senses to contorl the process as much as humanly possible

The art and process of raku firing is described in this insightful quote by a world reknowned raku artist:

"'What is it about the dynamics of this particular discipline that makes (Raku) so vital, Raku exemplifies...a complex relationship of material, human activity, and qualities of the natural world . . . (Raku) implies freshness and simplicity; it also defines an accidental or happenstance element, maybe even a imperfection which lends elegance and uniqueness to the whole. (Raku)...has a beauty stems from age. It stresses the appreciation of transient things and of the cycles of life that give rise to change. It can also refer to the quality of unpretentiousness or a kind of primitive naturalness.

Traditional raku embodies a system that makes judgment and sensitivity paramount. . .The Raku process is contrary to our penchant for duplication and mass production.

Discover the masterful raku pottery of Don Nibert.  Sculptural platters, vases and urns are exquisitely designed by this master clay artist. Email Don Nibert at donnibert@mac.com