I didn’t acknowledge what an inspiring, creative home I grew up in until I lost my beloved parents recently. Mum was an antique dealer specialising in vintage ceramics. Beautifully formed vessels adorned with painterly brushstrokes filled our family home, from Beswick to Clarice Cliff. Each piece had a price sticker underneath and they would come and go.
Dad was an engineer who in his spare time would tinker in his hand built workshop, turning felled wood into beautiful vessels for his loved ones.
My background is in illustration and graphic design, always with an interest in 3D: Paper projects or a pottery night class usually adding to my week. I began hand building vessels at home during the pandemic and in spring 2022 took part in my first York Open Studios where I sold my body work from this time. I continued building vessels with paper and clay and consequently bought a kiln.
I work from my home studio in York.
PAPER & CLAY
I create one off sculptural pieces using the traditional hand building methods of slab, pinch and coil. Sometimes all three will be required for one build. I recently ran a virtual recycled paper vessel workshop for Toast, sharing my process and love of creating something beautiful from the discarded. I’m interested in the relationship between the two materials whilst responding to the contrast.
I will be running monthly workshops around Yorkshire throughout 2024, hand building with clay and sometimes paper.
Please keep an eye on my Instagram feed for dates
https://www.instagram.com/katesemple/