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.
Tessa trained in Ceramics at Goldsmiths College, London 1981-84. On leaving college she developed a method of sawdust firing for surfaces that were high fired and internally glazed making it possible for them to hold water. Her vessel ranges are both hand-built and slip-cast, sculptural in form but always functional.
Emma’s ceramics practice is built on notions of what is known as Emotionally Durable design. She uses the making language of ceramics and a design sensibility to make work which is contemporary and relevant over time.
"In my work I explore ideas around the half-forgotten memories and images that persist from childhood – perhaps a vintage wallpaper, the stylised narrative of my Mother’s Willow Pattern plates, or the familiar shape of an opened sardine tin. My aim is to bring these elements together in a finished piece to combine a gentle nostalgia with the absolute, archival permanence of the ceramic medium."
Angela has been working in ceramics for over 50 years. Her first experience of clay was at after school class, leading to a Foundation Arts Course in Derby, then a BA in Wolverhampton, and an MA at Royal College of Art London. The latter two degree courses were very open-ended and encouraged exploration of other materials and a wide variety of working methods. This suited Angela as she has always been interested in both industrial production processes and sculptural techniques.
Emily-Kriste Wilcox works from her studio in Birmingham, and has been a professional ceramicist for over 15 years. She was recently awarded 'Best Ceramics and Painting Studio 2020' in the West Midlands category of the UK Enterprise Awards.
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.
