In this conversation, Jo Walker discusses her practice in the context of New Members of the Craft Potters Association at Contemporary Ceramics. She reflects on her working methods, sources of inspiration, and the ideas that underpin her work. The exhibition runs from the 2nd – 25th April 2026.
The Exhibition
Contemporary Ceramics: How has your work grown for this exhibition?
Jo Walker: My recent work has moved away from being strictly concerned with decoration, where the form served only as a surface for the sgraffito design, instead exploring the interaction of form and surface treatment.
This interplay reflects the architectural subject matter which inspires the work and the way in which the larger structural form of a building must interact with its individual surfaces, fixtures and finishes. As my work has evolved from primarily functional ceramics to explore increasingly more decorative forms, I have found myself moving away from the constraints of the potter’s wheel and challenging myself to use clay in a way which allows me to explore new relationships between pattern and form.
Mid-Century Modernism and the Handmade
Contemporary Ceramics: Your geometric range draws inspiration from mid-century pattern and modernist architecture, movements that were themselves deeply interested in precision, repetition and industrial production. How do you reconcile that aesthetic with the inherently organic and unpredictable nature of throwing on a wheel, and does that tension feel like a creative challenge or a productive contradiction?
Jo Walker: Throwing inevitably involves a degree of unpredictability, and there are times when achieving my intended form really pushes my technical abilities. However, with this body of work, I find that wheel-throwing can actually offer a high level of precision as, at the turning stage, forms can be carefully refined. This results in clean, controlled profiles and smooth surfaces that are ideal for decoration. I approach this pursuit of precision as an ongoing challenge, aiming to echo the crisp lines of modernist architecture by almost erasing the visible traces of the throwing process.
This clarity of form provides a kind of blank canvas for the surface, where I introduce more expressive, sgraffito patterns inspired by post-war public concrete murals. The result is a deliberate tension between the restrained, minimal form and the more energetic surface treatment.
Sgraffito and Geometric Precision
Contemporary Ceramics: Sgraffito is a technique that requires a steady and deliberate hand, but it is still ultimately a mark made by a human on an imperfect surface. When you are working on the bold, precise lines of the geometric range, how do you approach that demand for accuracy, and do you welcome the moments where the hand betrays itself, or do you work to minimise them?
Jo Walker: I think my background in jewellery and silversmithing has strongly shaped my instinct for precision.
I’m drawn to the level of detail that sgraffito can bring to a piece, particularly in how it invites close inspection. At the same time, on the geometric pieces, I make a conscious decision to include small areas that are drawn freehand, without rulers or stencils. These areas allow for a more personal mark to emerge. Those slightly irregular, wavering lines that occasionally intersect, fight against my desire for neatness. However, I’m increasingly trying to embrace these small imperfections, rather than eliminate them entirely, as they reference the hand of the maker within an otherwise controlled and geometric framework.
Boldness and Restraint
Contemporary Ceramics: You describe the geometric pieces as bolder and more precise, which suggests a very different state of mind from the quiet contemplation your botanical range. Does working on the geometric range require a different kind of energy or focus from you as a maker, and how do you move between the two modes, particularly when you are working on both ranges alongside each other?
Jo Walker: I definitely take a different approach with the geometric pieces compared to the botanical ones.
The botanical decoration tends to meander across the surface, and I often start with only a loose idea of how the finished piece will look. With the geometric work, I think much more about the piece as a whole: how the pattern, form and glazed areas all work together, rather than treating the surface as just decoration. I map everything out in advance, so I have a clear sense of the final outcome before I begin the sgraffito.
I really enjoy moving between these two approaches. The botanical work gives me more freedom and space to respond intuitively, whereas the geometric pieces require a different kind of focus and control. That shift in pace is something I value, sometimes giving me the chance to reset and approach the work with fresh energy.
Glazed and Unglazed Surfaces and Geometry
Contemporary Ceramics: Your recent experiments with juxtaposing glazed and unglazed surfaces seem particularly interesting when considered alongside the geometric range, where the interplay of texture and finish could echo the clean lines and contrasts of modernist design. How are you exploring that juxtaposition within the geometric pieces specifically, and where do you feel that experimentation might take the range next?
Jo Walker: Within the geometric pieces, I’ve been exploring juxtaposition by using glaze very selectively—often confining it to specific planes or edges.
Because the forms themselves are quite structured and precise, the contrast between glazed and unglazed areas becomes more pronounced; the glaze tends to catch light and define certain angles, while the unglazed clay absorbs it, softening other parts of the form. That interplay helps emphasise the geometry rather than distract from it.
I’m particularly interested in how this contrast can echo modernist principles—clean lines, clarity of form, and a focus on material honesty. The unglazed areas reveal the clay body and process, while the glazed sections introduce a controlled intervention, almost like highlighting or framing parts of the structure. Bands of colour are reminiscent of the shine and reflective nature of the ribbon windows of a modernist building or the way light and shadow play on its surface, the slip is more akin to the dull finish of concrete.
Looking ahead, I’d like to develop these ideas further to push the work in a few directions. One is becoming more intentional about how glaze placement guides the viewer’s eye across the piece, almost using it compositionally. Another is expanding the contrast further—perhaps through sharper transitions, more complex geometric forms, or even introducing subtle variations in surface tones within the unglazed areas themselves. Ultimately, I see it evolving into a more refined dialogue between surface and form, where the finish isn’t just decorative but integral to how the geometry is read and experienced.
