Billy Adams

Billy was born in Northern Ireland and spent his youth roaming the hills of Donegal, exploring the landscape. He completed an MA in Ceramics at Cardiff Institute of Higher Education in the late 1980s and he has been living and working in Wales ever since.

His work is influenced by landscape settings, especially the wild, rugged beauty of Connemara and Donegal, and the dramatic West Wales coastline. He incorporates geological elements, natural colours, as well as the marks of human activity on the landscape into his vessels. He is interested in addressing the relationship we have with the landscape.

He works within the vessel format, combining textures, colours and forms whilst interacting with man made elements. His work questions the concept of the vessel and the tension between function and non-function. Their conclusive forms are recognised as jugs, bowls and vessels; yet they can lead to inquiry of the notion of one’s perception and memory of an ever-changing landscape.

Billy’s vessels incorporate three different types of clay which have varying shrinkage rates. Each piece of work is hand-built and fired between four and five times. After repeated glazing and firing, the piece builds up a rich vocabulary of fissures, texture and richness of hue evoking rugged landscapes.

Billy’s work is collected and exhibited in the UK, Europe and the USA. Billy is a Fellow of the CPA, Craft Potters Association of the UK.