Barakat and Saleh, in front of the mixed and soaked clay powder
(photo: Émilie Saubestre, 2021)

We are Barakat and Saleh, two brothers from Faiyum, an oasis in the Western desert of Egypt. We were taught the craft of pottery making at a young age by our inspiring teachers, Evelyne Porret and Michel Pastore. After several years of hard learning and perfecting our technique, we decided to go down the Nile and start our own pottery school in Luxor. Inspired by the beautiful Egyptian countryside, we handcraft decorative pieces and serving dishes painted in traditional motifs as well as modern patterns. Working with the clay is calming, makes us joyful and we feel deeply connected with the material.



Elazab preparing the mixed and soaked clay powder for drying
(photo: Émilie Saubestre, 2021)

ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Eager to offer the youth of Luxor the same opportunity that we were given, we opened the doors of our school in 2009. We want the school to be a place for sharing and collaboration. Along our journey we have hosted travellers and artists from all over the world that came to visit us out of curiosity and decided to spend more time with us, exchanging in this way various experiences. We frequently teach a local group of pupils that have been with us from the beginning:

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Mahmoud Al-Tayeb
Gamal Abd el Nasir
Mohamed Abd Nasir
Mohamed Ali
Yousif
Hamam Hamza
Ahmed Salem
Elazab el Nubi

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We help anyone interested to acquire the base-skills necessary to become independent potters. We facilitate access to kick-wheels as well as electric ones, glazes and different firing techniques. The school is also equipped with an electric kiln and with a fiber kiln using a drip-feed oil burner so that the possibilities of controlled reduction and oxidation can be explored.


Winter view from the upper floor of our school
(photo: Andrei Lumpan, 2021)


We are usually selling our work by displaying it in the showroom of the school, in some boutiques in Luxor and Cairo, or sometimes taking it abroad with us when we present it in our exhibitions. We recently started this website to spread our pottery further around the globe. Findavailable pieces here or please contact us for commissioned work.


(photo: Émilie Saubestre, 2021)

ABOUT THE WORK

We start by taking the clay powder brought from the quarries of Aswan, soak it in water, mix it with feldspar, talc, lime and silica to form a malleablé stoneware body, making it perfect for the work that we do. After, we let it dry under the sun for several days until it has the right feel.


Saleh preparing & working the clay
(photos: Andrei Lumpan, 2021)


For most of our work we use the throwing table, while for the more decorative objects we sculpt the clay by hand. Followed by some drying time, we dip the work in its first layer of glaze. When rested, we start drawing the motifs by scraping the surface. Afterwards, we apply the colors and dip the pottery in a last coating of shiny glaze. The final step is the firing. Our favourite kiln to use is the one we built ourselves due to the fact that it allows more experimentation and yield unexpected results.


Applying the first glaze layer
(photo: Andrei Lumpan, 2021)


We are continuously progressing thanks to our passion for innovation and getting inspired by our students and visitors.


We hope to be seeing you!


Barakat & Saleh filling the fiber kiln
(photo: Andrei Lumpan, 2021)