My Story / Statement
In 2004, with little prior knowledge of ceramics or art, I came across a small stoneware bottle made by the late Bill Marshall of the St. Ives pottery. Its understated beauty struck me immediately and sparked a growing interest in ceramics that, 10 years later led me to change from my former profession in medical diagnostics to a studio ceramicist.
Historically, a divide was often perceived to exist between functional studio pottery and ceramic sculptural art. I admire both and consider them ends of a spectrum united by clay and a common aim of expressing beauty as form and surface using the hands directly in the unique way that is only possible with this wonderful material. My work aims to bridge this divide. I create both vessels that can be used for tea and to store and more sculptural forms, particularly mural assemblages and bottles.
My forms and surfaces are informed by influences from both western mid century modernist design and historic Korean stoneware, particularly that of the Joseon dynasty, both of which share restrained and subtle approach to form and surface. This allows the quality of the materials to speak for themselves with minimal distraction from ornamentation.
Most of my work is thrown on the wheel which naturally creates disc, ring and cylinder forms. To my eye, these naturally evoke cosmic phenomenal such as the forms and orbit of stars and planetary bodies, planetary rings, occultations and so on.
Timeline
2020 Major studio renovation & kiln build.
2017 City Lit Ceramics Diploma exhibition. New Designers
2015 - 2017 Ceramics Diploma. City Lit. London
2014 - 2015 Ceramics & Design. Kensington & Chelsea College. London