International Wood Firing Festival 2026 — Third Edition

One Kiln. One Fire. One Community.

The International Wood Firing Festival began with a simple idea initiated by Singaporean potter Alvin Ng (aka Mudman): to bring potters together through clay and fire.

Now in its third edition, the festival has grown into much more than a firing. It has become a meeting place for ceramic artists from different countries, cultures and backgrounds to work side by side, exchange knowledge and experience the unpredictable beauty of wood firing together.

Wood firing cannot be done alone. Every person has a role — preparing and loading the kiln, stacking the work, cutting and carrying wood, taking shifts, reading the fire and supporting one another through the long hours of firing.

We may speak different languages and practise ceramics differently, but in front of the kiln, we share the same purpose.

We do not see this festival as a place to decide who is better or who knows more. We are here to learn from everyone. An experienced kiln master can teach us something. A young potter can teach us something. And sometimes, the kiln itself becomes our greatest teacher.

Fire is unpredictable. We can prepare, control the airflow, choose the wood and decide when to stoke, but ultimately, we must also learn to listen and respond. Flame, ash, clay, atmosphere and time work together, leaving marks that no artist can completely reproduce.

After three years, what matters is not only what comes out of the kiln. It is the friendships created around it, the knowledge generously shared, and the respect developed between potters from different parts of the world.

Different countries. Different cultures. Different ways of making.
One kiln. One fire. One community.

This is the spirit of the International Wood Firing Festival.

International Wood Firing Festival 2026 — Ipoh

This year, the festival comes together at Hilltown Tea House, Ipoh, with wood firing, workshops and an exhibition taking place throughout August.

Festival Schedule

20 August 2026
Loading of the kiln

21–23 August 2026
Wood firing

23–24 August 2026
Workshops

26 August 2026
Opening of the kiln

28–31 August 2026
International Wood Firing Festival Exhibition
Free admission

Alongside the firing and exhibition, a series of intimate workshops brings together ceramics, tea, floral art and Chinese calligraphy — extending the festival's spirit of learning and cultural exchange beyond the kiln.

Workshops — 23 August 2026, Sunday

11:00 AM — Japanese Ikebana Floral Arrangement

Led by Carey, this hands-on workshop introduces participants to the art of Japanese floral arrangement. Each participant will create their own arrangement to take home.

Fee: RM60, including completed floral arrangement
Capacity: Maximum 15 participants

1:00 PM / 2:00 PM / 3:00 PM — Chinese Tea Ceremony Experience

Led by Teacher Lian from Taiwan, each small-group session offers an intimate introduction to Chinese tea preparation and appreciation.

Three sessions are available at 1:00 PM, 2:00 PM and 3:00 PM.

Fee: RM20
Capacity: 8 participants per session

4:30 PM — Chinese Calligraphy Workshop & Paper Fan Writing

Led by Teacher Liang from Taiwan, participants can experience the expressive art of Chinese calligraphy, with the option of having calligraphy written on a traditional paper fan.

Fee: Free, with optional paper fan purchase
Capacity: Maximum 20 participants

Workshops — 24 August 2026, Monday

11:00 AM — Tea Cup / Cha Wan Making Demonstration & Hands-On Experience

Led by Alvin & Sook Peng, this workshop brings participants closer to the process of making ceramic tea ware through a demonstration followed by a hands-on experience.

Fee: RM20, with optional kiln firing fee
Capacity: Maximum 15 participants

2:00 PM — Aged Tea Appreciation

Presented by Legend of Tea, this guided tea session explores aged teas and how time and storage transform their aroma, flavour and character.

It is an opportunity to slow down, taste together and discover another craft shaped by time — much like ceramics and wood firing itself.

Fee: RM20
Capacity: Maximum 20 participants

Register for the event here https://www.legend-of-tea.com/events!

Exhibition — 28–31 August 2026

After the fire has cooled and the kiln has been opened, the works created through the wood-firing process will come together for the International Wood Firing Festival Exhibition.

Visitors are invited to see the unique surfaces and traces created by flame, ash and time, and to experience the results of a process that can never be completely controlled or repeated.

28–31 August 2026
Free Admission

Venue:
Hilltown Tea House
39B, Jalan Bijeh Timah
30000 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia

Workshop spaces are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Come for the ceramics, stay for the conversations, and experience what happens when people from different places gather around one kiln and one fire.