Master of Mud Ovens and Other Post-Industrial Solutions Speaks October 30 at WC

The Center for Environment & Society (CES) at Washington College will present “Earth, Art, and Fire: Reviving Traditions for Post-Industrial Dilemmas,” a talk by Kiko Denzer, on Tuesday, October 30 at 7 p.m. The event, which is free and open to the public, will take place in Litrenta Lecture Hall, Toll Science Center, on the College campus, 300 Washington Avenue.

A leading proponent of natural building, Kiko Denzer has worked with earth as a building material since 1994. His work has included low-cost, friendly structures for schools, playgrounds, gardens, and community events. The goals of his work are two-fold: “to bring the art and beauty of life and nature into spaces where we work and live, and to inspire people to create what they need with the materials they have on land.” In order to accomplish these things, Denzer begins with primary tools such as our hands and bodies.

Since 1994 Denzer has been involved in numerous projects involving mud – constructing mud ovens, stoves, fireplaces, and sculptures. His other interests include stone- and wood-carving, teaching and writing.

Based in Oregon, he self-publishes how-to books on natural building methods through his company Hand Print Press. His first book, Build your own Earth Oven, is widely regarded as the authority on the construction of traditional earth ovens. He also has written and published Dig Your Hands in the Dirt: A Manual for Making Art out of Earth, and Make a Simple Sundial.

Denzer’s talk at Washington College is sponsored by the Center for Environment and Society, the Student Environmental Alliance, the Anthropology Department, and the Anthropology Club. For more information, visit https://www.ces.washcoll.edu or call 410-810-7161.