In this conversation, Liz O’Dwyer 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.
Interview by Dee Honeybun
The Exhibition
Contemporary Ceramics: How has your work grown or changed for this exhibition?
Liz O’Dwyer: Since becoming a member of the CPA, I have started to develop the pieces in black porcelain further. Creating similar forms to that of the white but now developing a set, for example the coffee cups sat on the wooden trays. I’ve been thinking about the moments in the day that encourage a moment of still and creating pieces that help us to achieve this.
The line as a journey
Contemporary Ceramics: You describe the continuous line as guiding the eye across surfaces, edges, and between pieces. How do you decide where a line begins and ends, and what does it feel like when a drawing across two separate pieces finally comes together?
Liz O’Dwyer: The process of the drawing is quite spontaneous; the movement of the line is very dependent of the size of the piece and the form itself.
I use the wheel at points to create uniform lines but then break away and move free hand. I like the way the process guides the marks I make, through carving and turning lines become intensified and even removed. The overall composition of the piece is vital and learning when to stop has been one of the biggest challenges.
I want to encourage people to handle the work so have created pieces in which the lines move across from one to another. It allows an element of play encouraging viewers to handle work and engage physically as well as visually. The form and the lines work together simultaneously, the object allows the drawing to become three dimensional and the drawing encourages the viewer to interact and explore the form of the piece.
Walking as Source Material
Contemporary Ceramics: You mention walks, maps, and “life’s twists and turns” as inspiration for your marks. Can you talk us through how an experience in the landscape actually translates into a mark on a piece — what happens between the walk and the moment the line meets the porcelain?
Liz O’Dwyer: I have always loved the spontaneity of drawing and the simplicity of the line.
The lines are very much linked to day-to-day life, it can be as literal as the route I’m taking whilst out on a walk, things I see simplified or the directions I take. Do I move forward, take the next turn or double back on myself? Similarly, as within the physical we are within our thoughts and life’s journeys. Often five dashes are included symbolising family, either walking together or tracking a different path.
Teaching and Making
Contemporary Ceramics: You move between producing your own work and teaching at the very studio where your love of ceramics was rekindled. How does that relationship between teaching and your personal practice shape each other, and has your time with students ever changed the direction of your own work?
Liz O’Dwyer: Alongside my practice I have always taught.
It has always been important to me to encourage others to develop and succeed in their own creative journey or to provide a space in which they can escape for a short while. The act of teaching encourages me to seek perfection in my own work; it hones my technique and encourages me to evaluate every step.
