Nicola Gillis Ceramics
2026 – Taking part in Potfest South East – Glynde Place
My interest in ceramics has developed over the past 8 years, studying on the full-time Ceramic Development course at Forest Row School of Ceramics in 2019, and beginning to sell my work during 2020. Initially using the wheel, I then worked to include hand-building with slabs, carving, and coils, which I find to be a slower, more thoughtful approach to making.
Using stoneware clay I create ceramic tableware. Through my work I invite you to be mindful of our daily eating and drinking rituals by focusing on the vessels that we use, what we see, what we share, what we hold and touch.
I take inspiration from the East Asian use of tableware, a specific purpose for each vessel and where pleasure is drawn from individuality. Although there are commonalities, I do not seek to replicate exact size or marks and embrace imperfection. Shadows and light on daily walks throughout the seasons and the beauty found in degraded surfaces and patina also inform my work.
In September 2023 I was invited to have a solo exhibition of my work at Lucite Gallery in Tokyo, Japan. In June 2024, I was invited to exhibit alongside notable potters in ‘Lids, Spouts and Handles’ at Clay College Gallery, Middleport Pottery, Stoke-on-Trent. In November 2024, I was awarded funding from the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust to travel to South Korea to develop my skills under master potter Kwak Kyung Tae. I regularly show my work at Yorkshire Sculpture Park shop and the Bluecoat Display Centre.
I invite you to begin a conversation with me through my work by handling each piece, feeling their weight, softness and exploring their marks.