From the Kiln to the table

In this month's artist showcase, we look at the 'béton brut' inspired ceramics of Emma E Westmacott, a ceramicist based in Cheshire. Following completion of her Masters in Ceramic Design at Staffordshire University in 2020, she has continued to develop her work through experimentation.

As an established ceramicist, Emma exhibits her work internationally and most recently exhibited at the Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair in 2023.

Emma's work follows Modernist design principles and is inspired by the Brutalist architecture she grew up around in the 1970/80s.

Through observing patterns on interior surfaces in public spaces and the geometric prints and patterns she found on her Grandfather's clothing and parents' glassware, she developed an interest and nostalgia for the design aesthetic she grew up around.

Conversations with material

Emma looks at her artisitc process as a sort of conversation with the materials she is using. Utilising different methods of forming structures such as moulding and slip casting, her pieces combine often contrasting materials to create balance and harmony in her vessels.

'I find myself involved in persuasive conversations to coax the materials to co-operate!'

Emma's skillful manipulation of methods is a deliberate choice, one that directs focus to the nuanced surfaces of her vessels, vases, and homeware.

The layering and interchanging of moulds grant her the power to craft singular, distinct artifacts that pay homage to the principles of modernist design.