Clare Stephens creates vessels which have dialogue with each other, and their surroundings. Encouraging interaction visually and by touch, eludes to human values of empathy, acceptance and unity, opening up conversations and communication about these important values.

Presence or ‘being-with’ created between objects or us, enables meaningful interaction. These ideas underpin her making, are timeless, facilitating global values of acceptance, dialogue, collaboration, as well as potential well-being, and an openness to communication, recognizing everyone’s humanity. Clare connects with, appreciates and connects to clay’s materiality, acknowledges tacit knowledge from countless generations of ceramicists and potters; this is enhanced using varied clays, making and firing techniques.

Interacting with clay, mind and hands or body are in unison, responding, in constant flux, paralleling aspects within Clare’s previous midwifery career, explored during a ceramics MA in 2023, providing wholeness to her work.

These ‘imperfect’ bottles are a community. Made from 3 different clays, yet glazed with the same selection, fired with many other pieces created by several potters in a community wood firing. Heat, flames, and ash caress the pieces, each piece affecting this flow to its neighbour. During reduction stages of firing, thick mist or smog envelops them, along with blinding light created by extreme temperature. Each bottle has been finally ‘born’ from this experience, each clay and glaze reacting differently depending on material composition and position in the kiln. Each bottle unique from a shared experience, enabled by the team of potters feeding wood, nurturing, listening responding to the needs of the firing kiln.

 Wood Fired Ceramic

5.5x2.27x2.75cm // 10x3x3cm // 13x4x4cm // 17x4x4cm // 21x5x5cm // 24.5.6x6cm

Priced per piece: £10 - £35