“I aim to blur the dividing lines between art and craft. I use clay or porcelain as my canvas, creating illustrated plates for installations or vessels as sculptural displays. The themes include zoom meetings, refugees, masks, musicians, people at rest, funny faces, at the café, at the beach, at the Met, and conversations across time.” – Gail Altschuler.
Gail’s work focuses on storytelling through porcelain plates and vessels which are illustrated with sketchbook observations. Her porcelain pieces are built by hand and high fired. The process involves using many graphic procedures, combining painting, mishima inlay techniques, with sgraffito and coloured washes, under transparent glaze. The mishima inlay technique involves hand drawn lines that are etched with a sharp pin needle tool and filled with underglaze. The themes include inspiration from art history. The 24-30cm wide plates each have a wall hanging disc attached on the back, for art installations.
Gail works from her home/studio in North London. Art history, drawing and ceramics are life-long passions. She studied Art and Design, Fine Art, History of Art and she has an MA in Art and Design Education. She teaches ceramics, art, and art history to adults, teens and children.