Vessel Raku 07

Product description

I am a ceramic artist making individual sculptural forms, loosely based on the vessel, which have absolutely no function other than engaging the viewer through their response to the forms, textures and colours.

My work is inspired by a long-held fascination for all things ancient, bearing the scars & traces imposed by the passage of time – upheaval & convolution of the landscape, weathering & erosion of surfaces, and states of decay in both natural & man-made forms including the relics of earlier civilisations.

Each piece is handbuilt by coiling, an almost meditative process which allows the form to gradually evolve. A coarse, grogged clay is used for texture, which is enhanced by scraping to further refine the form. Raku firing provides the essential dark, earthy quality, capturing the mystery & occasional iridescence of archaeological finds. I enjoy the contrast between such a highly controlled, considered building process and the relatively unpredictable nature of Raku.

Each piece is completely unique as the precise conditions during building, glazing & firing cannot be repeated.