Article 10: AMT Ceramics' Artist Feature for NOVEMBER | Ianna Engaño also known as Odangputik

November 16, 2024 My Store Admin

It was late 2017 when AM Trajeco officially joined UPCFA Ceramic Studio as an apprentice & volunteer before his Japan Training, It was when AM met ODA as one of the thesis students conducting research in Pottery practices in the Philippines, also during Pagluluwal International Ceramic Festival in UPCFA - Diliman, and eventually became friends with her. Our Artist feature for this month of November is Ianna Engaño also known as Odangputik, one of the fast emerging Artists in the country right now.

Ianna Engaño

As we recently collaborated with Odang Putik Pottery Studio as their Kiln Firing provider for their new venture as Clay & Pottery Supplier for “Pottery Clay Thailand” Let’s know more about her works & advocacy as Ceramic Artist. AMTeam prepared some Q & A and we hope these can inspire you.

Q: What led you to ceramics?

A: Since I was a child, I have always loved creating forms from mud. And in 2013, I had the opportunity to explore the medium better at the UPCFA Ceramics Studio.

Q: What are your favorite forms to create?

A: Figures and human forms. Usually, anything that keeps me challenged.

Q: Tell us about how Odangputik Pottery Studio came to be

A: Odangputik Art Studio began as a photo dump on Instagram, filled with documentation of my early ceramic works during my time at the UPCFA Ceramic Studio. It was only during the pandemic, when I had no other source to sustain myself, that I saw the opportunity to sell the ceramic pieces I created on the same Instagram account. Fast forward to 2024, Odangputik Art Studio has evolved into more than just an online shop; it is now an art space and a family of artists and creatives who collectively aim to decentralize Philippine pottery and the Philippine art scene. We do this through apprenticeship and internship programs, ongoing research on culture and ceramic studies, and by forming counter-disciplines that challenge the ways we engage with traditional art, which has often been heavily influenced by Western perspectives.

Q: What are some challenges you faced setting up your studio?

A: Since Lin and I are both self-made, finding capital or proper funding to open a physical studio in Quezon City was one of the hardest hurdles we faced.

I faced many economic disadvantages while growing up, from grade school to my college years, making it difficult to meet even basic needs such as medicine, nutrition, food, and funding for school projects. These basic needs felt like luxuries to me. So, every time I receive revenue from my pottery and art gigs, I reinvest it in something beneficial and sustainable for me and my team, such as studio materials and machinery. I do not want to go back to the time when I had to travel from Cavite to Fairview or from Makati to Laguna to fire my pieces. Honestly, the travel time felt draining on my health, and I hope my teammates and apprentices do not experience the unnecessary struggles I faced for the love of pottery. I want them to primarily enjoy the best aspects of practicing pottery, like the sense of freedom we feel every time we interact with the medium.

Odangputik Team

Q: How does running a studio help your growth as an individual/artist?

A: In running the studio, I am constantly learning to be more of a listener than a dictator. Our studio helps me grow not just as an artist, but as an artist-leader. I still have a lot to learn as each day goes by. My team learns from me, and I learn from them as well; this encourages me to practice collaborative strategies in the field of art.

Q: What are you working on right now? Are there any upcoming shows/projects?

A: I am currently working on my second solo exhibit this November 2024. It will be held at Eskinita Art Farm, an art gallery where I have been granted an art residency under the Tuklas mentorship program, headed by artists Sir Alfredo Esquillo and Sir Renato Habulan. I am calling this exhibit “Nunology,” a series of terracotta pieces with black oxide that visually narrate the journey of finding our identity through our connections with our ancestral lineage.

"Nunology" - Photo grabbed from Oda's FB

Q: Tell us about your personal work. How do you manage to still creating for yourself despite running a pottery business?

A: I draw my drive from the people who help keep the studio running. I cannot slack off, knowing that their present and future are somehow part of my responsibility.

Q: How did you hear/learn about AMT?

A: Kuya Alfred is one of my good friends and one of the few people in our university, the University of the Philippines, who initially showed a strong interest in pursuing ceramics. We knew each other even before Odangputik Pottery Studio and AMT Ceramics Studio were brought to life.

Thank you so much Oda for sharing your pottery journey with us, AMTeam wishes you more success in your studio and more opportunities to come. As final note to our Q & A with Oda, as mentioned, AMT Ceramic Studio in collaboration with Odangputik Studio, we're glad to be part of their ceramic process as Kiln Firing Provider for the Pottery Starter Kit. You may avail their kits thru their website and Onsite Studio. Once you’re done in creating your fave pots using their kits, you may send your pieces to AMT Ceramic Studio and we’ll take care of firing your creative pieces. You may refer to these services to the link below.