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.
Barbara Gittings’ smoke fired, nerikomi porcelain vessels are quiet, contemplative and sensual, as she wants anyone looking at the work to want to touch it and be drawn in.
Following a childhood passion for making, David studied wood/metal/ceramics at Manchester Polytechnic. Following an introduction to traditional Japanese architecture, David developed a broader fascination for Japanese craft and aesthetics, which led him to write his dissertation on Raku. Researching the Raku process in turn, led to meeting master Raku maker David Roberts who offered David an opportunity to work with him.
Claire creates decorative smoke-fired pots. She chooses to use porcelain due to its strong resistance to wild temperature changes during the smoke-firing process. Her pots are not functional nor suitable for holding water due to the porous quality of the unglazed burnished clay which is necessary for smoke-firing.
John comes from a family of engineers going back several generations, so it was natural for him to follow suit. However, he made an unenthusiastic engineer, and after several years teaching he went back to college and gained a place on the 3D course at Manchester College of Art where he was introduced to clay for the first time.
Stephen’s first pots were made at Soham Grammar School in the late 1960s-early 70s where his art teacher and early mentor, Peter Askem helped and encouraged his to move onto the Foundation Course in Art and Design at Cambridge College of Arts and Technology.
He then progressed onto the BA Hons course in 3D Design (Ceramics) at West Surrey College of Art and Design, Farnham. The tutors and visiting lecturers at Farnham included Sebastian Blackie and Mo Jupp. Stephen found the ‘Farnham experience’ to be life changing.
Terry was born in Abergele in North Wales and is a graduate of the seminal Harrow Ceramics course, where he was taught by Victor Margie and Mick Casson. He worked with Denise and Rosemary Wren in Surrey before returning to North Wales in 1978 where he set up a studio with his wife Bev Bell-Hughes in Llandudno Junction.
His work is primarily in thrown, high-fired domestic pots, reflecting influences from both Oriental and British country ware.
