Contemporary Ceramics gallery and shop exhibits the greatest collectable names in British ceramics along with the most up and coming artists of today. Our distinguished makers are all carefully selected members of the Craft Potters Association.
All of our makers are members of the Craft Potters Association and each of them have a story to tell.
Akiko Hirai produces both practical and decorative ceramic ware that is held in private collections and museums worldwide. Her Japanese background and aesthetics strongly influence her ceramic work while her pieces are also perfectly rooted in contemporary designs.
Phil throws and hand-builds in various stoneware clays, making bowls, vases and sculptural forms. However, his main output is concentrated on small-scale porcelain and white stoneware bowls and bottles. They are exclusively hand thrown.
Tom makes pottery for use at the table, in the kitchen, and around the home, inspired by the ceremony of eating and drinking. He is continually fascinated by the tension between form and function, using glazes as ‘clothing’ to dress and emphasise strong silhouettes. This approach originates in his studies under Steve Sheridan as a schoolboy and his enduring admiration for makers including Richard Batterham, David Leach, and Gwyn Hanssen Pigott.
Jihyun began working with ceramics in 2016 while studying in the Arts and Crafts department at Sookmyung Women’s University in South Korea. There, she developed fundamental ceramic skills and an understanding of how to plan and execute projects. After graduating, she moved to London to pursue a Master’s degree in Ceramics and Glass at the Royal College of Art.
As a child, her love of doodling and illustration led her to dream of becoming an illustrator. At university, she was mesmerised by the way clay allowed her to transform imagined forms into tangible objects. The process—from building to firing—felt like bringing a living creature to life.
John comes from a family of engineers going back several generations, so it was natural for him to follow suit. However, he made an unenthusiastic engineer, and after several years teaching he went back to college and gained a place on the 3D course at Manchester College of Art where he was introduced to clay for the first time.
After a career in social work, Rachel moved to her partner’s home country of South Africa where her two children were born. The energy and beauty of the landscape, and the people, rich in making and creativity, rekindled her own love of art, architecture, design, and creativity.
