Resist Slip-Casting
In this research, we explored slip-casting—a well-established technique in ceramics, widely used to produce identical forms efficiently and at scale. In slip-casting, liquid clay (slip) is poured into a mold to create hollow or solid shapes as the clay sets against the mold walls. Through acquainting ourselves with traditional slip-casting, we also sought to rethink this industrial process by considering the tools and materials at play. The result is Resist Slip-Casting—a new approach that ‘hacks’ the conventional slip-casting method to generate textured ceramic surfaces through controlled material resistance.
Resist Slip-Casting works by applying water-resistant stickers to the surface of a plaster mold. These stickers selectively inhibit water absorption, altering the local deposition of clay during the casting process. As a result, textures emerge on the ceramic surface, shaped by the pattern and placement of the resistive materials. This method transforms the mold from a fixed tool of replication into a programmable and reusable surface capable of generating different outcomes from the same base form. By varying the masking material and pattern, different textures from simple geometries to intricate patterns, symbols, or text, can be customized and fabricated from the same mold.
With this technique, we shift the logic of slip-casting from mass production toward a more generative framework for making ceramics. We further demonstrate how resist slip-casting can be applied to different design contexts through applications in tangible user interfaces, tactile graphics, and home products.
Han Bo
Jared Lim
Kianne Lim
Adam Choo
Ching-Chiuan Yen
Genevieve Ang
Clement Zheng
Water is absorbed in all directions and clay deposits around the edges of the mask.