All posts by Daniel Bende

Designs and creates under the trade name DFB-ceramics hand-thrown stoneware figurative ceramics.
Inspiration, Personally

Keramis: the energy of the earth

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Ceramic art gives you energy, and Keramis Centre de la Céramique literally shows the power of the earth. This ceramics museum in La Louvière is one of the most important centers for ceramic art in Wallonia and actually in the whole of Belgium. If, like we were this summer, you are looking for contemporary ceramics, then a visit to Keramis should not be missed.

The museum houses a historic collection of Boch ceramics from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, as well as an impressive collection of contemporary ceramic art. In addition, it regularly organizes temporary exhibitions on specific themes. We visited the museum in August 2026 during the exhibition Les Énergies de la Terre.

One of the three historic kilns Keramis Centre de la Céramique, La Louvière

What do energy crises, Van Gogh, the Boerenbont (also known as the Dutch Bouquet)-motif and toilet bowls have in common? You can find out at Keramis, the modern ceramics museum and the heart of ceramic art in Wallonia.

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Inspiration, Personally

Neanderthals face to face with contemporary ceramics at the EMA Museum Andenne

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If you sleep on the derle clay, you will automatically dream of the ceramics of Andenne, recognized by UNESCO as a Ville Créative since November 2025. But where do you go when you wake up? Indeed, to the ceramics museum of Andenne: the EMA (Espace Muséal d’Andenne).

With our campsite in Solières as our base, a stone’s throw from Andenne in the Meuse valley where the derle clay has been extracted for centuries, we dived into the ceramic history of Wallonia this summer. And where better to start that journey than in Andenne, where derle clay has been mined and fired into tableware and ceramic art since Roman times?

Daniel and Jacqueline with the Meuse in the background

So off to Andenne on the Meuse.

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Clay, Inspiration, Personally

Contemporary and historical ceramic art in Wallonia, the derle clay

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Whether contemporary or historical ceramic art, everything starts with clay. Or, if you are in Wallonia near Andenne, with “la derle“.

Derle is the clay that has been mined under that name since the late Middle Ages in the Meuse valley around the towns of Andenne, Andenelle and Namur.

This clay was formed over millions of years by the chemical weathering of limestone, creating characteristic horizontal layers. Geologists refer to this as a karst landscape.

This summer, during our holidays, we wanted to discover the ceramic art of Wallonia . To get to the bottom of that, we felt it was best to pitch your tent on that very soil. No sooner said than done. This summer we were intimately acquented with la derle and the ceramics that are made from it.

My office on the clay soil
My office on the derle clay soil

In this and the next two blogs, I will report on that. In this first episode, we dive into clay… oops, I mean: la derle. 😊

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News

NKO glaze course: from glaze maker to glaze designer

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Many ceramists start their glaze journey with existing recipes. They mix raw materials, fire test tiles and gradually build up experience.

But at some point, the desire to take things further often arises. Why does a glaze melt the way it does? Why does a matt surface form? How can you influence the colour, texture or firing temperature in a targeted way? And above all: how do you design a glaze that exactly matches your work?

ENT glaze course extra grade glazes 2026-2027

For ceramists whishing to take this step, the Advanced Glazing Course starts on Friday 4 September at the Dutch Ceramic Education Centre (NKO).

This in-depth glaze course consisting of 16 lessons, has been developed for ceramists who want to go beyond simply making glazes and instead learn how to analyze, predict, design and control glazes.

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News

Exhibition at Galerie Cock Witte – Ceramics and more

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21 March to 19 April 2026 Galerie Cock Witte is opening again!

From March 21 to April 19, 2026, I can be seen with my ceramics in a special group exhibition at Galerie Cock Witte in Ursem.

Together with an inspiring group of ceramists and artists, we show work in which material, form and personal signature are central.

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Little Ceramics Thoughts, Personally

Hatred Divides, Clay Unites

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How ceramics are an antidote to division and negativity

More than 25 years ago, I sat behind a wheel in a ceramics class for the first time. There I learned the fine – and sometimes not so fine – tricks of the trade. A lot has changed in the world since then, but one thing has remained the same: the power of community within a ceramics group of truly interested people.

Clay connects, hand-turned cups with terra sig

Today I am no longer in class or attending lectures, I stand in front of the class or give them. And from that perspective I see something special: students and participants who inspire each other, share ideas, discuss designs and even learn from failures. Yes, also from the ceramics accidents – not to laugh at, but to understand and perhaps even to reuse.

Making ceramics yourself and designing glazes gives an enormous positive impulse. It shows how important it is to understand each other, learn from each other and continue to develop yourself.

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News

Mastering Glazes with Glazy – Understand and Control Your Ceramic Surfaces

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By Daniël Bende – Dutch Ceramics Academy (Nederlandse Keramiek Opleiding)

Start: 7 December 2025 | Location: Gouda | Duration: 8 Sundays

Are you a ceramics enthusist who wants more than just creating beautiful glazes? Do you want to understand how glazes work and learn how to modify effectively?

Then the glaze course “Systematic Glaze Research with Glazy” at the Dutch Ceramics Academy is exactly what you are looking for.

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Glaze, Technique

Pure nature: an Earth Crust Glaze

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Have you ever wondered what would happen if you ground up the entire earth’s crust, mixed it thoroughly, and then mixed it with water? Then you get… a ceramic glaze!

But how do you actually prove that? Of course, I could fire the mixture in a kiln at about 1280 °C to see what the result is. But how do you get a completely ground earth’s crust?

Fortunately, there is another way to show that a glaze based on the earth’s crust produces a shiny, deep dark brown ceramic glaze. You just have to do the math…

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Firing, News, Technique

Solar-Powered Ceramic Firing: Bentrup SmoothPOWER

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SmoothPOWER is Bentrups solution for solar-powered ceramic firing. This summer, during a webinar from this innovative manufacturer of ceramic kiln controllers, I learned why this is so important.

Bentrup has more than 40 years of experience in developing controllers for the ceramic industry, artisan potters and ceramists. That’s why I wanted to hear about the latest technological innovations from the founder Reinhard Bentrup.

Connecting a ceramic kiln to solar energy is more complex than it seems. The solar energy generated must first be converted from direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC) by an inverter. The cabling must be constructed in such a way that the various components guarantee safe and efficient power transmission. This system is known as the PV (Photovoltaic) installation.

If the power from the PV system is not used directly, it can be discharged in two ways: to the electricity grid or to a home battery. But is it possible for an electric kiln to use power directly and efficiently from the PV system?

This was a question I posed to expert Reinhard Bentrup.

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Glaze, Technique

Ceramic decoration spectrum in perspective: Slip, Engobe, Glaze and Wash

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Slip, engobe, glaze and washes are terms you often hear when you delve into ceramic decoration. These terms have always been a source of confusion for me, especially since different ceramists give them different meanings. A clear definition can help to bring order in the chaos. But even more important is gaining insight.

You can memorize definitions, but I’m happy to leave that to AI models. More important is understanding both the differences and similarities between these materials for ceramic decoration. In my opinion, it is essential to recognize that all of these decorating techniques are part of a continuum.

This continuum extends from slip, through engobe and glaze, to washes. Based on the amount of clay (the source for Al2O3) and quartz (SiO2) you can put this into perspective.

Stull Chart from 1912

This is easy to visualize with the help of the “Stull graph”. R.T. Stull made this graphic in 1912 to classify glazes. But also very useful to gain insight into the entire ceramic decoration spectrum.

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Firing, News, Technique

Bentrup Superwise: a livestream of your ceramic firing

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With the new generation of Bentrup controllers, everyone can follow a ceramic firing live online: the Bentrup Superwise live stream.

Bentrup Superwise is platform-independent, so you can just as easily track your firing via your PC, laptop, tablet or mobile. But the Superwise app can do more than just live stream your ceramic firing.

It’s also an online logbook and a Swiss Army knife for your Bentrup controller. You can use the app to set and quickly adjust your personal firing programs. Also view and adjust the controller settings, receive live error messages and use the “KilnAssist”.

One of the first livestreams was of a coffee machine (Trojan Room coffee pot) in the computer lab of the University of Cambridge. In 1991, Quentin Stafford-Fraser put the webcam live. So the entire department was able to follow online whether the coffee was ready.

About ten years later, I wanted exactly the same thing, but to see if the pottery was ready. 🙂

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Firing, Technique

Ceramic kiln controller: what does today’s ceramist need to know?

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A ceramic kiln controller is as essential as a rudder for a ship. Without this crucial component, you may be able to move forward, but whether you will reach the desired destination remains in question. It is the same with a regulator or kiln controller: a ceramic kiln simply cannot do without a control, certainly not the current generation of kilns.

Modern ceramic kilns do not have an on or off switch, only a plug input (connector). Selecting a new ceramic kiln is a challenge in itself, let alone finding the right controller. This is especially true if you deviate from the standard controllers that come with the kiln.

Personally, I’ve always chosen a kiln controller that suited better my specific needs than the standard option. More than twenty years ago I chose the Bentrup TC 507, which I am still very satisfied with. However, the new generation of controllers offers significant advantages, such as SmoothPOWER for solar energy and Superwise for logging and an online firing livestream.

Is it time for an upgrade?

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