Alison West’s wheel-thrown ceramics unite traditional craft with a deep connection to the natural world and a fascination with the unpredictability of fire. Her long-established practice of saggar firing, in which vessels are enclosed in protective containers with foraged organic materials, produces subtle smoke patterns and organic traces across each surface. Every firing welcomes chance, resulting in works marked by distinctive, atmospheric qualities.

Her forms draw inspiration from the refined elegance of classical Greek pottery and the restrained simplicity of Japanese ceramics. Central to her practice is terra sigillata, an ancient Greek and Roman technique that creates an ultra-fine clay slip by separating the smallest clay particles. When burnished and fired, this slip forms a soft, polished surface without glaze. Alison refines Devon wild clays and Ball Clays to make these slips, layering them over Cornish clay forms to express local colour, texture, tradition, and place within a timeless ceramic dialogue.

Hand-thrown stoneware vase decorated with wild clay slips, creating warm, earthy orange tones. The piece is then fired in a raku kiln and removed while hot, with horsetail strands applied to the surface. As they burn on contact, they produce spontaneous lines and smoky effects. Each piece is sealed and watertight, with natural variation and unique markings created during firing.

Soneware

11x13x11cm