Birgit Pohl

Birgit Pohl grew up in Germany and porcelain objects in her family home always held a particular fascination. After moving to London, a chance visit to a potter’s studio first opened her eyes to the possibilities of working with porcelain. She learned how to throw on the wheel initially at evening classes and went on to study at Clay College, Stoke-on-Trent.

All of her work is wheel-thrown and hand decorated porcelain. Her shapes are inspired by early 20th century storage jars, and lidded pots in general hold a particular fascination for her. Her decorations with ceramic pencil are based on ‘automatic drawings’ which hold a mixture of different influences that come to the fore during time spent with her sketchbook.

She aims to balance precision of form with fluidity in the surface decoration or in the case of absent decoration, the tension created by a ‘stalk’ slightly knocked out of perfection.

Although most of her pots can be used, functionality is not her primary focus – she is more drawn to making pieces that are pleasant to hold and that invite speculation about the stories behind the designs.