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Being connected with every part of the making process is my motivation with clay. From digging, to testing and tweaking, to burnishing and firing, I hope to tell the story of how it came to where we see it above ground — whether that be from the textures and colours of the earth or the flame marks from the firing, I aim to connect those to this material that has been present in our lives for 30,000 years.

Using clay from my home in Dartmoor, I created an array of objects that serve as reminders of our historical connection to clay, and the life that it had before us.

With the human figure — the first ceramic artefact ever made by human kind — I aim to anthropomorphise clay to encourage empathy for this wonderful material, along with small objects that serve as tactile reminders that can be introduced into the everyday.

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Artist Statement – Erin Samuels - 2024

Through articulated ceramics, my work explores themes of fairytales, fantasy, the uncanny and memory. I want the joy and energy that I associate with making to continue through to the finished object, offering an opportunity for play and storytelling to the viewer.

Much of my inspiration stems from my experiences growing up around Glastonbury and Somerset, with their rich, folkloric landscapes and narratives. I aim to embrace this hazy crossover of memory and fantasy storytelling in my work, focusing on how both are prone to distorting over time.

I use the technique of maiolica to articulate this, painting designs with oxides that inevitably flow and transform during firing. These are painted onto zoomorphic dolls and puppets. Whimsical creatures, lost somewhere between human and animal, that may provoke reactions of fear, fondness or humour. They aim to offer tactility and a quiet presence, encouraging viewers to be curious, and embrace the unpredictable and absurd.

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My practice is something that has slowly revealed itself to me, focussing on reoccurring motifs through drawing, writing, personal stories, dreams or even what I seem to notice more in everyday life.

Seashells and teeth have become vessels of memory, intertwining themselves with my own childhood, yet not so personal to excluding the viewer.

Using black and white clay bodies  I evoke the feeling of illustration using relief, sculpture and press-moulding; this idea of collaging and layering clay mimics the layering of stories and narratives that interest me.

Mortality is also a theme that influences my work manifesting itself through a sense of ‘negative space’; observing what is not there by showing only what surrounds it. Through the Shaffron (Horse head armour) this central object or character of the horse is neglected, inviting the viewer to fill this open space in the same way false memories or imagination fill the gaps of the unknown.

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Life is a flux

My work aims to interpret growth within the ever-flowing journey of life. It draws inspiration from the flow of natural elements, with the wall-mounted piece representing a dynamic landscape and the sculptural piece, a growing organism within it. The narrative is symbolic: it embodies mental growth through challenges and healing in a fast-moving reality, reflecting the universal truth that life is a constant flux that continually moves forward.

Black clay unites the two pieces, establishing a shared material language. They are further decorated with wild clay slips and glazes derived from waste materials, such as glass. Waste recycling serves a dual purpose: to stand for more sustainable practices by replacing raw materials, and to conceptually connect materiality with the overarching theme of life’s continuity.

The carvings on the pieces represent the marks life leaves on our hearts as we grow. Though we may heal, these marks persist as evidence of our journey, shaping who we become.

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My chosen making method embodies the idea that we are an amalgamation of our experiences. I enjoy the repetition of making, letting my hand move in dialogue with the clay, slowly building a latticework of individual pieces like a patchwork of our memories – finding balance between fragility and strength. I strive to find a sense of equilibrium both in my life and my work, meditating on line and proportion to find balance in asymmetry. The forms are a study in the subconscious and a retrospective of the subliminal effect of our environment; my surroundings and emotions unknowingly affecting the final form. While these shapes are modeled from my own introspection, I invite the viewer to find their own meaning in the work. My aim is to entice an emotional response to the pieces - to tempt the imagination to see beyond the object and find a moment of quiet contemplation.

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Summer Project

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Several of you have been asking about the EDGE characteristics the university encourage within all subject areas. here is a doc explaining their value