In the run up to Decorex 2019 opening at new home Olympia on the 6th of October, we talked to Design-Nation member and new Decorex exhibitor Katherine Staples. Katherine carefully builds sinuous ceramic sculptures in her studio, shaping the elegant flowing shapes with her hands.
We asked Katherine: What might ‘coming of age’ mean in a design or craft context?
Katherine replied: Ceramics is definitely having its ‘coming of age’ at the moment. The value of ceramics as opposed to a painting has always struggled historically yet the complexities and skill involved in making with clay should never be underestimated. Clay is moving forward at a great rate; boundaries are being pushed constantly with regard to material, design, concept and technology. End use is also changing dramatically.
Design-Nation: Do you have any design heroes? If so, who and why?
Katherine: Particular heroes of mine are those who are pushing the boundaries. For example Clare Twomey is a performance artist and serial producer of site-specific mass multiple clay objects, and Phoebe Cummins uses unfired clay in her work. Both artists are thought provoking and original in their concepts.
