ZEITA
I make hand-built and thrown porcelain for everyday use — pieces to be handled, lived with and noticed. My work invites a slower pace: to feel the weight of a bowl, notice a rim in changing light, and enjoy the quiet presence of objects that become part of daily rituals.
My journey into ceramics
I began working with clay while studying at the University of Ulster in the 1990s. After graduating I moved to Japan where, alongside teaching English, I was fortunate to study pottery with three different teachers. That period shaped not just my technique but my way of seeing. Back in the UK I completed a Masters at the Royal College of Art, then established my studio — first in London and now in Buckinghamshire. Alongside my practice, I’ve taught at several universities and I currently teach at Clay College in Stoke-on-Trent.
Japan taught me to value useful objects — to respect them and to ask not “Do I like it?” but “How does it make me feel?” That question guides everything I make. I hope my pots act as quiet companions: grounding, familiar, and gently encouraging moments of attention and care.
PHILOSOPHY
I’m drawn to places where edges soften: the horizon, the tide, the changing moon. My father was a sailor; from him I learnt how the night sky guides, and how the moon commands the sea. That interdependence — sky, sea and shore in balance — sits behind much of my work. You won’t find literal waves or moons, but I hope the forms and surfaces carry their calm.
INSPIRATION
Many bowls combine press-moulded structure with thrown movement. I like to leave room for the pot to become itself — a slight irregularity, a change in rhythm. Porcelain has a strong “memory”: it remembers every touch and tries to return to it in the firing. Rather than fight that, I work with it, so no two pieces are ever identical — like two pebbles, related but never the same.
Process — balance between control and freedom
The most meditative part of my practice is afterwards: placing finished pieces around the kitchen and living with them for a while. I watch how they sit in space and how the light changes them throughout the day. That quiet looking helps me understand the energy of a piece and guides what I make next.
Mindful looking
I fire a small electric kiln powered by a renewable energy supplier. My porcelain comes from France, so I use it carefully: trimmings become slip for coloured clays, and glazes are mixed from just four ingredients in small batches to avoid waste. The aim is a studio practice that’s thoughtful, efficient and in tune with the work itself.
Materials & sustainability
Teaching
Teaching keeps me connected to new ideas and to the fundamentals of good making. I’ve taught across universities and I currently freelance at Clay College, Stoke-on-Trent, which champions skills, discipline and the joy of working with clay.
