In this conversation, Lara Scobie discusses her practice in the context of her solo exhibition, Incised, at Contemporary Ceramics. She reflects on her working methods, sources of inspiration, and the ideas that underpin her work. The exhibition runs from the 28th May – 20th June 2026
Is there a typical working day?
Contemporary Ceramics: Describe your studio on a typical working day – what does it look, feel, even smell like to be in that space?
Lara Scobie: My studio is in the centre of Edinburgh in a busy, vibrant area. It’s very small but perfectly formed, with large window looking over the back greens of the neighbouring tenements. It’s on the first floor of an old converted factory building that now houses artists studios. I am very grateful to be surrounded by so many interesting and stimulating people. I’m an early riser and like to get to the studio as soon as I can – it’s a 10 minute walk from home.
The best days are when something is on the bench waiting to be finished, that way I’m straight into it and the day starts immediately. But if I’m starting a new body of work I’ll start by filling and emptying moulds., there’s a lovely meditative feel to this job and it allows for planning the day ahead.
Clay as a Language
Contemporary Ceramics: Was there a moment – early on or later in life – when clay stopped being a material and started feeling like a language?
Lara Scobie: I was first introduced to clay at school and honestly that’s when everything changed for me. I was a terrible dreamer but clay showed me what it felt like to be completely engaged. I think the language of mark-making and articulation of line has always spoken to me and it has become fundamental to how I approach my surfaces.
To me decoration has rhythm, just like the recurring pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in language. Line can be loud or quiet (thick or thin), space can be a punctuation to let the eye rest. Through pattern and surface texture I can suggest an idea or visual, and play with the nuances of interpretation.
Art that lives on in your work
Contemporary Ceramics: What was the first piece of art that truly stopped you in your tracks? Do you think it still lives somewhere in your work?
Lara Scobie: The frescos of Giotto when visiting Italy, a very long time ago, made a huge impression on me. I remembered being enamoured by the matt, dry surfaces, the texture and the wonky perspective, and of course, the colour. I also loved Neolithic pottery for the pattern and slip work and again the matt surfaces.
Process
Contemporary Ceramics: Your forms feel carefully considered – the delicate tilted rims, or off-centre ellipses. How do you arrive at a form, and once it’s made, how does it begin to tell you what it needs on its surface?
Lara Scobie: I find myself predominantly slip-casting because of my choice to use Parian (Parian is a casting clay) but I am fundamentally a hand-builder. So my approach to slip-casting is probably a bit punk. Once released from the mould I alter the form through a combination of cutting, squidging, paddling and then often repositioning the base. To me this is when the form starts to take on personality and will dictate where the decoration will sit within the form.
It often surprises people that my approach to decoration is actually very loose. I don’t plan or sketch out the decoration. It all starts with an initial line that will then dictate where and how much decoration is placed into the composition. I need to be decisive and commit but at the same time remain responsive to where the decoration is going.
Contemporary Ceramics: You talk about capturing the moment the hand engages with the clay surface, as an intuitive response as you make your way around the form. That sense of immediacy, feels almost at odds with the precision and craftsmanship of the finished pieces. How do you hold these two things in balance, the spontaneous approach to decoration and your controlled forms? Does that tension ever feel precarious?
Lara Scobie: I think through years of perfecting my process I have developed a kind of tacit knowledge, its like playing an instrument and practicing your chords, through hard work a level of harmony is achieved – sometimes.
Contemporary Ceramics: Colour has always been central to your practice, but in this exhibition there’s a new dimension – the decoration echoing the colour of the vessel’s interior, whether a deep orange, bright yellow or chartreuse green. What drew you to this more unified approach, and how does it change the way a piece feels when you’re making it?
Lara Scobie: Making a large body of work for an exhibition always offers the opportunity to push the boundaries and realise ideas that have been percolating below the surface.
With the new pieces I wanted to explore a softer feel but at the same time retain bold colour. Choosing to work with a single colour allows the qualities of the inlay drawing and sgraffito marks to take precedence, I think the overall feel is softer on the eye and offers a calmer aesthetic.
Contemporary Ceramics: Looking at the work in this exhibition, what has surprised you most about where the work has taken you?
Lara Scobie: I feel really pleased with the shift that has happened during the making of this show and I am particularly happy with the single colour pieces. At times I have made bold changes to the work that are very obviously trying to do something different but there has been a quieter shift with these pieces and I feel excited for the next phase of development. Having a solo exhibition comes with deep fear, there’s nothing to hide behind and expectations are high. It is all consuming and can be overwhelming at times but I am very grateful for this opportunity as I don’t think I would’ve pushed myself this hard.
Contemporary Ceramics: And finally, what do you hope someone feels standing in front of one of your pieces – not thinks, but feels?
Lara Scobie: When someone is standing in front of my work that they feel energised and lifted, a bit like admiring a beautiful flower in the garden, there is perhaps wonderment at the exquisite structure or perhaps it just gives a little bit of joy.
