Ronald Boersen is a potter, ceramic artist, glaze nerd, and educator. In his ceramic work he explores the materiality of clay – freezing a moment of creation in fire. His pots are functional in nature, though hope to evoke an experience beyond the mere utilitarian, exploring touch and texture, creating a connection to the maker’s hands.

Ronald started off his professional life as a classical violist, composer, and sound artist, having studied at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague, earning two bachelor degrees and a Masters in Sound Technology (Sonology). To offset the pressures that come with musical performance, he entered the world of clay – working on the wheel – and has found many similarities in the creative processes.

The aesthetics of Ronald’s pots respond to his local environment, landscapes, and colours – and having grown up in the Netherlands, lived in Israel, then Canada, and now Aotearoa New Zealand, local has taken on a rather expansive meaning. His current work focusses on the surfaces created by wood firing with salt and soda, though he also likes too explore other means of firing, such as electric and naked Raku.

Ronald’s (almost obsessive) curiosity has also led him into the science and chemistry of glazes... and it's a wondrous ride. And while there is always a lot to learn, the advances in technology and the website glazy.org have made glaze chemistry more accessible than ever. Aside from teaching glaze chemistry courses and working as a private glaze consultant, Ronald is also the Moderator of the Facebook group Understanding Glazes with Sue (with now 34k+ members!!!) and loves to share, teach, and demystify bits of the wondrous world of glazes.