Background

I am a ceramicist with a love of the vessel in its many forms- the idea of containment fascinates and continually challenges me. Although I began my ceramics journey as a hand builder, I found throwing on the wheel was where I felt at home. After completing my degree at Harrow, I founded the ceramics studio Archway Ceramics, along with a group of fellow graduates. I combined working there with teaching until I had my family. Following a stint at Kingsgate Workshops, I now work from my studio at the end of my garden.

Work

My current work is mainly thrown, however hand built projects are an ongoing interest. I continue to focus on the vessel form, working in series and making one-off pieces. I find my inspiration in natural and urban landscapes, as well as the seemingly random and mundane – pebbles on a beach, rusty metal tools, peeling layers of paint, found objects that suggest a fragment of a story- and it’s also these things which inform my colour palette.

I work primarily with porcelain as, despite its tricky nature, it has the right qualities for the finishes I want to achieve and explore.

The surfaces of my vessels are important to me, I use them as a way to express a narrative and achieve a patina of depth and variety. The vessels are layered with oxides and glazes, brushed and dipped, and often multi-fired. They are used as a canvas to investigate the myriad combinations of texture and colour.

This unpredictability ensures each piece is unique.

Photograph Alun Callender