April News!
Studio and Exhibition Updates, Sample Sale, London Craft Week dates
Hey Everyone,
Hope you’re having good weekends.
Firstly something non-ceramics related. It feels very jarring to just be carrying on as normal alongside so much suffering happening in the world. I appreciate my freedom and also the privilege of working for myself, doing something I love, every day. If you’re reading this, you are part of what makes that possible, so thank you so much.
I shared on instagram earlier this week a post by Jeremy Corbyn calling for an independent inquiry into the UK Government’s role in the ongoing assault on Gaza. This includes arms sales, sharing of intelligence, and use of the RAF. I’m totally ashamed and disgusted that our government here in the UK is involved in these ways. If you feel like me too, I’d urge you to email your local MP to ask them to back the call for the inquiry.
Sample/Seconds Sale
In ceramics related news, I’m pleased to share I’ll be having a small seconds/samples sale on Monday evening from 6pm (online). Orders put in by Tuesday morning will be posted Tuesday for pre-Easter weekend delivery (UK).
London Craft Week
-Secret Ceramics
I’m also really pleased to share I’ve donated a piece to Secret Ceramics at London Craft Week. The exhibition runs from 12th-16th May at Christie’s.
London Craft Week presents the second edition of its charitable initiative, Secret Ceramics, in partnership with FiredUp4, co-founded by Kate Malone MBE.
For the first time, the exhibition takes place at Christie’s, featuring 100 ceramic works by leading and emerging artists. As the names suggest, the artist’s identity will only be revealed after purchase and visitors have the chance to acquire works, at a fixed price, from the likes of Claudia Rankin, Hitomi Hosono, Dimitris Papailias (Sway Ceramics), Bouke de Vries, Emily Myers, Freya Bramble Carter, Kate Malone, Gregory Tingay and Sophie Wilson. Last year, LCW proudly achieved its goal and proceeds funded a FiredUp4 ceramic studio at WEST Youth Zone, White City. This year, funds raised will cover the annual running costs of all four FiredUp4 studios in London — WEST, Barnet, Barking & Dagenham and Croydon — giving young people from disadvantaged backgrounds access to the transformative power of clay.
-Wondering People x Plain English Design, The Art of Slowness
I’ll also be taking part in The Art of Slowness, curated by Wondering People in the Plain English Design showroom. I’ll have some big hand pieces and large platters there.
- 8 Holland Street, Creatures
Really excited to share the pieces I’m working on for this exhibition- Creatures by 8 Holland Street at their beautiful St James’ Park space.
Other Studio Updates
-I’m currently part of the show ‘Love Needs an Object’ at The Merchant’s Table.
My piece is this cherub salt/candleholder, inspired by 17th century London delftware.
- Other new work at the moment, I have a spring collection with Bamford for their ‘Celebrating British Craft’ series. You can read about it and a small interview I did for them here. Displayed with rare tulips grown specially for the collection, I made them some bespoke tulipieres and candlesticks in glossy white, and also in glossy white with a geranium green hand painted pattern.
I took loads of photos of the process for these so will probably write a separate newsletter about this!
-I’ve been making more vases for TOAST, these should be back in stock soon. I’ll have a handful of seconds in my sample sale tomorrow too.
OK I think that is all my news for now! Thank you if you’ve read this far <3
All the best
Ali x