Jill Fanshawe Kato graduated in Painting from Chelsea School of Art, London. After a period of teaching she had the opportunity to visit Tokyo in Japan, joined the school of potter Yosei Itaka and began to study Japanese pottery. She subsequently worked with renowned potter Ryoji Koie. Returning to London in 1977, Jill established her first studio. Since then, she has lived and worked in north London. She continues to exhibit in Japan, with 46 exhibitions there, mainly at Keio Department Store in Tokyo but also in Okinawa. She has exhibited widely internationally and across the UK. Jill has recently established a studio in Devon
Irish-born Susan O’Byrne studied Co. Kilkenny before moving to Edinburgh College of Art where she achieved a Post Graduate in Ceramics in 2000. Initially studying textiles, her ceramic work shows influences from this training, showing a fascination with texture, surface pattern and decoration. The work in this exhibition features new developments in surface decoration and for the first time, the use of glaze to reference Egyptian carvings seen at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the British Museum. Susan lives and works in Glasgow.
Exhibition pieces will be viewable online from Thursday 12th October
“My making process is a daily repetition in a calm and quiet place. My work is a reflection of thoughts and sensibility in these moments of making.”
“I am wary of having a formula, thinking I have cracked the code… The feeling of satisfaction is surely my enemy. I need to stay focused on trying to create work that has real freedom in it, freedom from materials, method or mentality.”
“Central to my work is the concept of the vessel: creating associations with sharing, ritual and celebration, reminders of our humanity, our history and connection with nature.”
