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.
Rob was born in Doncaster in 1945. He first became interested in pottery and art whilst at school, going on to further education at Leeds College of Art. Robert then studied sculpture at Cardiff College graduating in 1968, before finishing his education with an Art Teacher Training Course at Hornsey College. Rob returned to the pottery he had enjoyed while at school and the decision to become a potter was a flash of inspiration which he has never regretted. Since making this decision in 1970, he has made countless pots, set up workshops and taught ceramics in the UK and France.
Jessica’s latest collection of porcelain plates showcases the importance of convivial connections between ceramics, food and community, which is at the heart of her practice. It was born from a need for playful experimentation, deftly embodying the freedom of making, unbounded by rules or functional constraints.
Fascinated by process and enhancing a technique associated with mass production, she explores multi-layered slipcasting to create unique objects. These take the form of individual pieces and collections of curated works, which blur the boundaries between the usable and the purely decorative. With a minimal aesthetic, considered forms and refined colour palette, the work is highly tactile and the considered simplicity gradually draws attention to the subtle details.
Taja came over to UK from his native country Japan to study oil painting and settled in Devon over 40 years ago. He was inspired by so many potters in the south west, so he started making pots using his friend’s pottery workshop. He is largely self-taught. He found that slab and coil built pottery suits him the most. He started experimenting with porcelain clay about 20 years ago after being inspired by enormous blue porcelain wall tiles at a new Japanese airport especially the water-like quality of the blue glaze.
As a rebellious schoolgirl, Tina always knew that she would go to art college as she absented herself from her maths lessons to go to exhibitions. In 1974, she commenced her BA in Ceramics at Bristol Polytechnic with a strong 2D portfolio but hardly any experience of working with clay and she found it challenging. Nevertheless, she was drawn to it because it was the only material which was so malleable, human, primal, intimate, flexible, fundamental, and could be adapted to suit all personalities.
Ali Tomlin creates wheel thrown porcelain. Focusing on the smooth, white surface the quality of porcelain for making clean, elegant shapes creates a canvas for her careful decoration, adding colours and marks she creates her well known range of contemporary ceramics.
