CELIA

I love clay. I just love the feel of it and the way it responds to my fingers, remembering and recording the slightest touch. Human civilisation goes hand in hand with the development of pottery, as the study of archaeology shows, and societies are judged by their ceramics. When I look at a handbuilt pot I feel it contains the essence of human endeavour and artistic expression... I also love the way clay is both timeless and universal. It connects us to other cultures and older generations and yet allows us to express contemporary values too; ancient traditions with a new twist... My early career as a journalist in London meant that pottery was a hobby initially, but it soon turned into a passion after I moved to Kenya. In my thatched, mud walled, Nairobi studio I began to coil build in the traditional African way, learning from local potters, adapting their methods slightly with the help of my electric wheel. My forms are symmetrical but I am not after perfection; I love the subtle..