Firing ceramics by hand in the Laurentians with the pottery collective Goregama

It's the final push of a 40-hour firing when a dozen people converge around a hulking wood kiln in the Laurentian forest, stuffing split logs into the firebox, blocking every crack and opening. The heat is immense. When it's done, they will all sit back, dirt-streaked and exhausted, talking about what they've accomplished.

Goregama is a collective of ceramic artists who gather twice a year in Gore, Quebec, to fire their work in an anagama-style wood kiln. It's a group of potters, technicians, instructors, and hobbyists ranging from their late 30s to early 80s who've been doing this together since 2019. They do this without hierarchy nor formal structure.