Jack Doherty was born in Northern Ireland and studied Ceramics at the Ulster College of Art and Design, Belfast. On graduating he worked at Kilkenny Design Workshops before establishing his studio in Co Armagh in 1978. He was Chair of the Craft Potters Association for 12 years, a founder member of Ceramic Art London and has been guest editor of Ceramic Review magazine. His work is exhibited internationally and is represented in many public collections in Ireland, the UK, Europe, Japan and China.
Doherty questions the role of clay objects and considers their changing place in a contemporary world. His vessels are based on the archetypal ceramic forms, pots for holding, storing and keeping safe but for him, the concept of function is ambiguous and multi-layered containing the qualities of both art and utility.
Using his signature soda-fired porcelain, new for this exhibition Jack has made a series of ‘Guardian Vessels’ with folded rims and drawn surfaces. He has also been working on a group of spherical forms, carved and heavily textured, some to be held in the hand, others large and bold.
This exhibition profiles the works of seventeen esteemed makers, each of whom have recently been awarded Selected Member status by the Craft Potters Association.
An exhibition of works to coincide with the launch of Adam Buick's new book 'Raw Earth'. Adam uses a single pure jar form as a canvas to map his observations from an ongoing study of his surroundings. He incorporates stone and locally dug clay into his work to create a narrative, one that conveys a unique sense of place. The unpredictable nature of each jar comes from the inclusions and their metamorphosis during firing. This individuality and tension between materials speaks of the human condition and how the landscape shapes us as individuals.
‘I build up the surfaces of my pieces spontaneously, riffing on ideas of space, narrative and joy. I get to a point where I can push things a bit, hoping something exciting will happen – and sometimes it does.’
“The work has a strong tactile quality, as does the natural world. I don't wish to imitate nature but aspire to echo the process of nature.”
“Everything created, either functional or decorative, has equal importance,
and the integrity of this thought is the driving force behind my daily practice as
a potter.”
The driving force behind all of Paul Jackson’s
highly decorated work is a desire to express
his Cornish surroundings, with their strong
sense of colour and style. Paul uses white
earthenware to form energetic vessels
which are then decorated with colourful
and painterly abstract decorative motifs,
some influenced by Russian or Islamic art.
Richard Phethean makes ceramics
using coarse textured red and black
earthenware clays referencing
ancient pottery as well as European
slipware traditions. Richard utilises
brush and resist techniques to create
cubist‑inspired abstractions that adorn
both his domestic vessels and altered
and assembled forms.