• Menashe left painting for ceramics
• He was captivated by the idea of the everyday use of objects
• Japan, China and Korea also influence his work

Menashe Katz's first approach to the craft of ceramics was self-taught. He used to intuitively model a ball of clay with his thumb and forefinger until it turned into a clay pot. When he was still an applied arts artist, he took a course in basic techniques, another in handling the potter's wheel and he read dozens of technical books. All this pushed him to create. Menashe became familiar with the use of the rolling pin and discovered the next step: the slab, which allows him to mould pots and build geometric shapes. Today he shapes vases, plates and salad bowls on a potter's wheel, made from Spanish or Chilean clay, from the Valdivian coast or the vicinity of San José de la Mariquina. "In some of my glaze formulations I use volcanic ash, which I bring from Curarrehue, or wood ash from my own stove," says Menashe.