“The pots that Hannah McAndrew makes have precision, enabling her to enrich the surface with the most fluent slip trailing seen in modern times. She deftly creates elegant motifs to not just fit the pot’s form but to extend its creative potential and in so doing creates objects of consummate beauty.” Alex McErlain.
Britain boasts a particularly fine tradition of slipware pottery. I draw on this rich heritage and use it as the basis for my own work, where I attempt to capture the essence of these historical pieces, reinterpreted in a contemporary style.
Predominantly, I make pots with a purpose. However, I enjoy the challenge of creating a piece that will not simply perform its task well, but will be attractive to the eye and instil a sense of comfort and warmth to its surroundings. My pots are thrown in red earthenware clay and decorated using coloured slips. The decoration is applied to the surface of the pot by use of a slip trailer, while the surface is still glistening wet. Sometimes I allow the slipped surface to dry a little, so that I can inscribe motifs with sgrafitto lines. These slips are subsequently enhanced by the addition of a layer of rich honey glaze.
Although personal fulfilment takes precedence over financial gain, I am able to survive by spending my days investing time and passion into the thing that I love. My life is my work and my work is my life. This is a rare and fortunate privilege that I never lose sight of.
Public Collections:
Mashiko Museum of Ceramic Art, Mashiko, Japan.