Tue, 12/02/2019 - 13:22
Abbie and James are both ceramicists and artists who moved into Banks Mill during November 2018, and it wasn’t long before they outgrew their original space and found the need to upscale to a larger studio.
They now occupy studio 2.6 with their main focus being their ceramic businesses where James is now offering ceramic beginners workshops. The workshops will cover a range of skills including slab building and coiling and will take a more relaxed approach, offering people the chance to bring their ideas, experiment and leave with finished pieces.
James graduated from The National School of Furniture in 2011, and he strives to make the ordinary beautiful. Whilst he enjoys turning his hand to almost any project, over the last five years he has dedicated himself to his love of pottery.
From mixing his own glaze recipes to pursuing his own style of beautiful hand thrown pottery, James revels in perfecting his creative process. James’ mugs in particular are becoming popular handmade gifts with their bright colours over industrial styles catching people’s eyes across the country.
Abbie Sunter, who shares the studio with James is also a ceramic artist and her complex porcelain sculptures explore the relationship between power and femininity. Her work questions the preconceptions of women in modern society by intertwining them with female protagonists from Religion and Mythology.
Graduating from the University of Derby in 2013 with a degree in Fine Art, Abbie spent the first few years of graduate life going back to her roots and revisiting her first artistic love, illustration. Since then her work has moved back into the medium of ceramic sculpture.
Abbie’s thorough research into different cultures and love of the literary works of Joseph Campbell, a professor of comparative mythology and religion, informs her current body of work. Her work is a reimagining of the classical myths in which women are only ever a mother, a virgin or a temptress. This work strives to give women their own goddess to worship. A celebration of every woman’s ability to be a caring, nurturing mother that can also be innocent and pure whilst shamelessly embracing her sexuality.
Abbie’s current body of work will soon be available to see alongside 100 other contemporary artists at FLUX Exhibition which runs from 14 March to 17 March 2019 at The National Army Museum, London.
To find out more about pottery workshops email James