Description
Masterclass: Ramen and Noodle Bowls
Michel Pierre Francois
For Michel, Japanese tableware holds a quiet fascination. Working with time-honoured techniques to create functional vessels of clarity and balance, his practice sits between utility and sculpture. Among these forms, the ramen bowl stands apart, deceptively simple, yet deeply demanding on the wheel. It offers a balance between breadth and depth: generous without excess, substantial without heaviness. To make one well is to begin to understand the essential language of the bowl.
This masterclass explores two iconic forms from Japanese pottery. The ramen bowl, wide and open, teaches control, proportion and confidence at scale. The udon bowl, its winter counterpart, rises taller and rounder, with a more enclosed presence. Both forms trace their lineage to the Buddhist monks’ alms bowl, shapes rooted in generosity, designed to receive.
Guided by Michel’s long-standing engagement with Japanese ceramics, participants will work with these forms through making, developing sensitivity to volume, curve and weight. This is an exploration through process rather than replication, grounded in respect for the traditions that inform it.
For Michel, to master the ramen bowl is to unlock the potential to make any bowl.
Timings
Saturday 30 – Sunday 31 May 2026
10am – 5pm
1 hour lunch break at 1pm
Skill Level Required
Suitable for intermediate potters. Beginners are welcome, though some familiarity with the wheel will be beneficial.
What Participants Will Learn
The course begins with preparing clay through spiral wedging, establishing rhythm and consistency in the material. From there, participants will focus on centring using the left hand, developing efficiency and control, and building confidence through increased speed on the wheel.
Attention will be given to throwing wide, open forms and taller, more contained shapes. Particular focus will be placed on shaping the lip, controlling thickness, and leaving sufficient clay to later turn a defined foot inspired by Japanese bowl forms.
Participants will also learn how to compress the base using traditional tools, remove work from the wheel without distortion, and prepare pieces for turning. The process of turning will be introduced using a clay pad, allowing bowls to be securely centred and refined once leather hard.
By the end of the masterclass, participants will feel confident throwing a range of bowl forms up to 1.5kg, with a deeper understanding of proportion, structure and finish.
Expected Outcomes
Each participant will produce a number of bowls over the two days and select two pieces to be bisque fired.
Glazing and final firing (gas or electric) can be booked separately through one of our glaze sessions.
Daily Schedule
Day 1
An introduction to the history and cultural context of ramen and udon bowls. Examples will be shared and handled.
Participants will learn spiral wedging, left-hand centring, and develop speed and control on the wheel. The focus will be on throwing wide and deep bowl forms, and compressing the base using a cow’s tongue tool.
Day 2
Participants will learn how to create and use a clay pad to hold bowls securely for turning. Turning techniques will focus on forming a deep foot inspired by Japanese bowl traditions, using specialised tools.
The course concludes with a shared session of tactile evaluation, handling and discussing each other’s work to deepen understanding through touch. Final refinements will be made, guided by the principle of learning to “see with our hands and feel with our eyes.”
Key Information
2026
Maximum: 10 participants
Suitable for: Intermediate
Price: £300 per person
Michel Pierre Francois
Michel Pierre Francois makes functional vessels using time-honoured techniques, guided by a pursuit of clarity and purity of form. His work sits between function and sculpture, where proportion, balance and surface are carefully considered.
Central to his practice is a deep engagement with material. He formulates his own glazes using feldspar, Cornish stone and ash from local trees such as chestnut, ash and beech. Fired in reduction, these elements draw out minerals from the clay body, creating subtle variations in tone and surface so that each piece is unique.
With over 25 years of experience, Michel has worked closely with tea masters in the UK, China, Taiwan and Korea. He has collaborated with Tea Parker in Taiwan and with Postcard Teas in London, and his work is held by tea shops both in the UK and internationally. A former artist in residence at the Leach Pottery, he continues to draw inspiration from the rituals and material culture surrounding tea.
Michel’s teaching is person-centred and shaped by storytelling. He creates a calm, supportive environment where participants are encouraged to learn through exploration and curiosity. Gentle exercises are introduced throughout the course to aid concentration and develop a sense of flow—bringing mind and body into alignment through making.
Michel graduated from Falmouth University in 2002 and later established his studio in Falmouth, Cornwall. His work has been exhibited widely in the UK and internationally, including in Paris, London, Edinburgh and Taipei. In 2019 he was invited to work towards a major exhibition at the Korean Craft Museum in Cheongju, alongside master craftsman Professor Seo Young Gi. His work has been shown at the London Design Fair, Collect, and is held in permanent display at Studio Pottery London.
Cancellation Policy:
Due to the limited space, pre-registration is necessary. Please note that as this is a special workshop, for cancellations less than 15 days before the course or workshop there will be no refunds
