About my work
I work in porcelain to create decorative, sculptural pieces for galleries and interiors. My work has an intentionally feminine aesthetic, and the pure porcelain whiteness and apparent softness of the pieces are intended to evoke feelings of tranquillity or comfort within the beholder. To the touch, however, the pieces are solid, and the material is strong, telling us that to look again and not make assumptions.
I love the strength and density of porcelain, and I am drawn to it partly because of the challenges that working with it presents. I enjoy its pure aesthetic when left unglazed, and its tactility at every stage of working. I hand build vessels, usually from slabs, and attach carefully hand-formed ribbons of porcelain, working intuitively. My palette is a simple one of white, black and gold tones, and I make my own glazes and engobes from recipes that I have developed to fit my work.
I most enjoy making larger pieces, and for it to be possible to work to the scale that I want, I have developed material-specific techniques. My current body of work is the culmination of many years of working with the material and allowing its idiosyncrasies to guide and inform my practice.
The joy for me is that I am constantly problem solving – working out how to achieve a specific look, feel or shape, given the parameters of the material. I describe my practice as process led
About me
I am a Selected Member of the Society of Designer Craftsmen and Crouch End Open Studios, a member of London Potters and an Associate Member of the Craft Potters Association and Design Nation.
How did i get here?
It isn’t an accident that I became a ceramicist, but my path is a little convoluted and there is an element of chance involved. My first interaction with clay occurred at secondary school, where we were lucky enough to have a dedicated classroom with a wheel, and two kilns. I was immediately taken with clay, and I felt that I was ‘good’ at working with it.
It wasn’t until many years later that I made deliberate efforts to make it my life. Having resigned from my post as a PA to the Director of a charity over a dispute with my Maternity Pay I was looking for a new direction. I had bought some clay and was working with it at home when I came across the University Clearing pages (this was way back in 2003) in the centre spread of The Guardian Supplement - which I had used to cover the kitchen table while I worked. I don’t remember if the available spaces were listed by Subject or Institution. All I remember is seeing that there were spaces at Central Saint Martin’s on the BA Ceramic Design course. I applied and was invited for an interview with Kathryn Hearn, and was lucky enough to be offered a place on the course. I graduated in 2007, having invested the settlement from my ex employer into my course fees!
I worked in Social Research as my original line of work. I have a BSc in Sociology from Brunel University and an MA in Applied Social and Market Research from the University of Westminster. Elephants featured prominently in my ceramics in previous years. I used them as a vehicle for social commentary, and to represent strength, resilience and community spirit – also significant aspects of being female. They have helped me to illustrate my general feeling that we humans have got it all a bit wrong… what would the world be like if women really were in charge, as they are in elephant communities? I see my current work as a less literal extension of previous work.