Ceramic materials are something not always possible to exert total control over. It is the product of a combination of water, earth & fire, with the end result depending on both the hand & the very nature of the elements. Philip Lakeman Ceramic Bali experiments extensively with the aesthetic & material qualities of these elements, with the view to creating not just a product but an authentic work of art.
Philip Lakeman Ceramic Bali showcases the design & production of traditional tile making using a unique sand casting technique where each tile finished by hand-decorating & glazing. Whether it be the intricate textures of our Deco tiles or the vibrant surfaces applied to our Urban tile collection, you are assured of a unique & exciting journey into the world of ceramic art. Our unique technology combined with handcrafted details sets Philip Lakeman Ceramic Bali apart from other studios. Our products deliver a warm & refreshing statement, inspired by the harmony of natural colours & surfaces.
It is our aim to be at the cutting edge of technical & aesthetic innovation in ceramics by studying the materials & production methods that will enable us to always be a reference point for our clientele.
| PHILIP JAMES LAKEMAN | ||
| 1956 | Born in Benalla, Victoria, Australia | |
| 1979 | Diploma of Art and Design Ceramics , ( Chisholm Institute ) Monash University, Melbourne Australia |
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| 1980-1983 | Formative travel throughout Europe & USA | |
| 1984 | Traineeship Ceramics, The Jam Factory Craft Centre, Adelaide, SA, Australia |
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| 1985-1986 | Independent Studio, The Jam Factory Craft Centre, Adelaide, SA, Australia. Formative travel to China |
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| 1987 | Traveled throughout Europe and America | |
| 1988 | Established ceramic studio, Newtown, Sydney, Australia. Teaching Ceramics. Randwick College of TAFE, NSW, Australia |
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| 1989-1994 | Established ceramic studio with Graham Oldroyd, Illawara, NSW, Australia. Design & production of architectural ceramics. | |
| 1990-1995 | Production & Distribution of tiles Country Floors, Australia | |
| 1994 | With Graham Oldroyd, established Pesamuan Keramic Seni studio Bali, Indonesia. Director of Design. | |
| 1997-2006 | Production & Distribution of tiles Walker Zanger, USA | |
| 2006-2010 | Production & Distribution of tiles Stone Pewter, USA | |
| 2010-2015 | Production & Distribution of tiles Venus Ceramics International, Indonesia. | |
| 2012-present | Sole Owner / Director of Philip Lakeman Ceramics Bali |
About Us
Tile Making / CastingWe use a unique sand casting process to produce our Deco tile. All tile designs originate from hand carved timber moulds created by our Balinese craftsmen. Tiles are cured overnight to harden & gain strength. They are then taken from sand moulds & cleaned before being placed into the kiln for bisque firing. |
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Kiln - Bisque FiringBoth Urban & Deco tiles are packed into the kiln & fired to approximately 900◦ Celsius to burn out the chemical water content & strengthen the ceramic material. We call this Bisque firing. |
Glaze MakingWe offer a beautiful selection of glazes from our extensive library plus we can create custom glaze colours as well. We offer dry, stain & gloss finishes depending on the desired surface quality. |
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Glaze ApplicationThe glazes are either applied by hand to achieve a quality & patina finish which is unique to our studio or sprayed to achieve a uniform modulation of colour & tone. |
DecorationDeco tile - this process starts with an engobe ( liquid based clay material ) painted over the ceramic body . Once dry the glaze stain is hand painted over the Deco tile in a random fashion to create a beautiful patina finish. A clear glaze is then sprayed over the tile to seal the surface & enrich the quality of the product. |
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Kiln - Glaze FiringThe following step is kiln firing the ceramic for the second time, complete with ceramic glaze. This kiln firing is to a higher temperature 1100’ Celsius. This strengthens the ceramic & melts the glaze onto the ceramic body. This firing cycle takes approximately 8 hours to reach the required temperature. Once reached 1100◦ & the glazes have melted over the ceramic body the kiln is then turned off & the cooling process begins. Approximately 12 hours later the kiln door can be opened & the ceramic tiles are removed from the kiln. |
Quality ControlThe tiles are removed from the kiln & checked by our Quality Control Team. Tiles are checked for strength & vitrification - meaning the ceramic body would have gained its strength through the second kiln firing. Tiles are also checked & compared to the ‘ control sample ‘ to ensure matching colour & texture is similar to the control sample. There will always be variation in colour tone, surface quality & size of our tiles. This is the nature & quality of a handmade product. |
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Packing & CratingOnce the order is complete & checked for a final time it is then packed into designated size boxes. Each tile is packed vertically in between corrugated cardboard to ensure no connection between tiles. Tiles are packed by sizes - for example 10cm tiles in 1 box. 20cm tiles in another box. The tile order will be packed based on type and size. Deco tile with have corrugated card placed on design surfaces (back to back design) for protection. The carton box we use is DW (double wall). All boxes are labelled with design name, colour & quantity. |
Support TeamIt takes a village to make our tiles & that includes everyone in the office as well as on the factory floor. From Sales & Marketing to Projects to Accounting & Administration, we could not do without them. |
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Our HistoryPesamuan Keramik was founded in Bali by partners Graham Oldroyd & Philip Lakeman in 1994. Graham & Philip collaborated for many years bringing their skills, technology & design capability to the forefront of modern architectural ceramics. Their love of ceramics & passion for art, design & colour fuelled their success & in the process sparked the revival of the art tile movement throughout Asia. |