Contemporary Ceramics gallery and shop exhibits the greatest collectable names in British ceramics along with the most up and coming artists of today. Our distinguished makers are all carefully selected members of the Craft Potters Association.
All of our makers are members of the Craft Potters Association and each of them have a story to tell.
Annabel was born in Germany and spent several years of her childhood in Egypt before coming to England in 1956. She discovered clay at Farnham Art School on Saturday morning classes in the early 1960s. After leaving school in 1967, she attended Winchester Art School, where she was introduced to conceptual art and concrete poetry, and then Croydon College of Art. She went on to gain a BA(Hons) in Sociology and a PhD in Lesbian History at Essex University, then introduced and taught Lesbian Studies at Birkbeck College for two years. In her early 40s, she returned to her first love of clay, as one of the initial students on the City Lit Ceramics Diploma course in 1989.
Many of his sculptures start with a narrative that is either imagined, half remembered, carefully researched or commissioned. A love of whimsy, folk art, religious and tribal art, and his background as an illustrator, all go into the mix. His output is low and slow. Occasionally, Derek returns to a theme but, unless specifically designed as a set, every piece he creates is unique.
Yusun is drawn by the vessel form. She found a way to explore vessel forms while observing a bottle from the Korean Joseon Dynasty which was constructed by joining two different forms. Looking at the attached part of the bottle, she imagined opening the enclosed part and seeing what was hidden inside.
After a career in retail, Barry discovered the joy of working with clay through evening classes, and soon realised he wanted to explore further and learn as much as possible. He then gained a place on the ceramics course at the University of Westminster, Harrow.
Since leaving Camberwell College of Art in 1988, Justine has been primarily working with hand-built porcelain. Her work addresses the boundaries between function and decoration. Form is paramount to her, function is a driving motivation, but it is the aesthetics of a piece that are key to her making.
Simon spent his childhood fishing, drawing, and painting (usually creatures with sharp teeth). His first experience with clay was at the age of nine, throwing on the wheel under the guiding hands of Tessa Oates at Chipstead Craft Studios, later sculpting and modelling. He entered the world of graphic design and illustration, working in London design studios for a decade and then from his home in Kent.
