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.
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.
Before Tony established his own studio in 1988, he studied ceramics and then worked in the ceramic industry in Stoke on Trent (including as a designer for Coalport China, part of Wedgwood). His background in the industry gave him a broad appreciation of ceramics and techniques. He is interested in the art ware produced by Royal Doulton in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, but also fascinated by the work of French potters such as Clement Massier.
Dan Kelly trained at Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts where Colin Pearson was an initial influence, encouraging him to develop his throwing technique. His stoneware pots are defined by the way he manipulates them - cutting and reshaping by hand.
Sue originally trained as a sculptor at Saint Martin’s School of Art in London gaining a degree in Fine Art (Sculpture). First working in wood and metal, she discovered clay in the late nineties.
A chance encounter with a South African potter led to Sue’s fascination with burnished and smoked African and South American pots. Then in 1997, she attended a transformative course in Greece run by ceramic artist Alan Bain. There she began hand-building pots, working with terra sigillata slips, acquiring burnishing skills, and being introduced to pit firing.
Jenny Southam studied Fine Art in Bristol where she developed her practice in Sculpture, gravitating towards bronze. After several years working as a sculptor and bronze-casting assistant in Gloucestershire she moved to Devon, where she embraced clay as her medium of choice. For thirty years her family, home, garden and studio has formed an integrated whole.
Mandy Cheng’s focus is on porcelain and to make pots that are unique ergonomic forms. Her works are designed to be graceful and minimalist, to conjure a feeling of lightness and a sense of movement.
The signature mesmerizing patterns mimic the vivid diversity of nature. Using the nerikomi method, the patterns are meticulously prepared by repeated cutting and layering of plain and coloured porcelain sheets.
