MAAK LONDON - Key Persons
Alexa joined Maak in 2022, with more than ten years experience in the industry. Having spent many years working for a leading dealer, she specialised in 18th-century decorative arts and contemporary ceramics before going on to run the studio of a major artist, initiating collaborations with museums, galleries and international art fairs. Alexa looks forward to bringing her varied knowledge of the ceramics industry to Maak.
Ashley Thorpe won the inaugural Ceramics Art+Perception Writing Prize in 2018 for his essay on the work of sculptural ceramicist Tessa Eastman. He subsequently published Contemporary British Ceramics: Beneath the Surface with The Crowood Press in 2021, which featured individual essays on 22 ceramicists. A second volume focusing on the work of 24 potters has just been completed and will be published in 2023 by the same publisher. A passionate collector of ceramics, he has been commissioned to write exhibition essays for Julian Stair and Anne-Laure Cano. He teaches Japanese and Chinese Drama at Royal Holloway, University of London, where he gained his PhD in 2004.
Fleur joined Maak in 2021, after nearly five years working at Sotheby's in London. Previously she obtained her MA in Fine and Decorative Arts from Sotheby's Institute of Art, where she majored in history of ceramics.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Chair & Trustees Team
- Trustee
- Senior Specialist & Head of Sale
Frances is a specialist in contemporary ceramics and has been part of the Maak Contemporary Ceramics team for just over 4 years. She brings with a her a broad knowledge of the auction and contemporary ceramics industry and has previously worked with a number of institutions and charitable organizations.
Frances joined Maak in 2018 bringing with her over 15 years of knowledge and experience in the auction industry. Frances had previously co-founded the Modern Art auctions at Bonhams, Oxford and spent nearly 10 years as multidisciplinary valuer before joining Maak to specialise in her passion of contemporary ceramics and craft.
She holds degree in Fine Art and attended the Gemmology Association of Great Britain where she was awarded her Cert-GA
Frances is also a Trustee of Maak Foundation, a charity providing funding for primary research for the publication of books to advance the education and understanding of studio ceramics.
Hannah joined Maak in 2020. She has been involved in the ceramic industry for over 20 years. Her passion for ceramics began while studying for her degree in Three Dimensional Design. After specialising in ceramics for the final part of her course Hannah went on to make and sell her own work. She continues to develop her skills as a maker alongside working at Maak.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Chair & Trustees Team
- Trustee
Jenny brings over 20 years experience in the commercial sector working across a number of charitable and sporting organisations. She started her career at IMG and went on to manage the sponsorship and marketing operations for Major League Baseball across Europe, followed by eight years at the Rugby Football Union as Head of Commercial Partnerships. Since leaving the RFU she has been Head of Partnerships at Henley Royal Regatta alongside commercial consultancy for governing bodies and charitable organisations.
Jenny is also a Trustee of Give It Your Max, a charity that uses tennis to improve the lives of disadvantaged and vulnerable children across the UK and was on the Board of Trustees for Interactive, the strategic lead organisation for sport and physical activity for disabled people in London.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Chair & Trustees Team
- Director
- Founding Director
- Founding Director of IRostrum Limited
Marijke Varrall-Jones brings with her over 25 years of experience within the Fine Art industry. Founding Director of Maak Contemporary Ceramics, the auction house dedicated to handling the very best in British and International Contemporary Ceramics, Marijke is committed to developing the international market for studio ceramics at the highest level. With her expertise in the field, Marijke has been a consultant lecturer and invited to participate in panel discussion and exhibition selection committees in her capacity as ceramics specialist.
Marijke has worked in the fine art auction industry for over twenty years.
With an early interest in 20th Century Design and Decorative Arts fostered during her time working in the 20th Century Design department at Sothebys, Marijke focused her speciality to Studio Ceramics from 2004, when she joined the Contemporary Ceramics department at Bonhams, London. The Bonhams Contemporary Ceramics department represented the best part of the wider international market for studio ceramics at that time, and Marijke was Head of Contemporary Ceramics until the department was closed in 2008.
‘The appeal of studio ceramics is multi-layered for me. Not only do I love the visceral tactile quality of clay but the endless variety of studio ceramics means there are endless opportunities for surprise and inspiration.
Marijke has been a Consultant Lecturer at Sotheby's Institute of Art, contributing to the MA in Contemporary Design and the MA in Art Business as well as a number of other post-graduate courses. In addition Marijke is regularly invited to participate in discussion panels and exhibition selection committees in her capacity as Ceramics Specialist.
Marijke is also the Founding Director of iRostrum Limited, which provides online auction and bespoke software solutions to the auction industry.