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Gráinne Watts

Gráinne Watts Ceramicist
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An imagination fed by the Irish coast

  • • Grainne loves the endless possibilities of clay
  • • She uses hand-building and throwing techniques
  • • Her work is heavily inspired by natural forms

Gráinne Watts grew up in a creative household where making was part of life. Introduced to clay at the age of ten by her mother, Gráinne went on to study ceramics in Dublin before becoming an apprentice to Irish potter Geoffrey Healy in Bray, an experience that gave her a love for the potter’s wheel and an appreciation of the “painstaking discipline of repetition throwing”. Gráinne has recently moved to a new home and large studio space, in the creatively renowned area of Kilkenny, where she creates thrown and handbuilt vessels and sculptural forms, inspired by her interest in organic geometry, colour and pattern. Having lived by the Irish coastline all her life, she looks forward to exploring this new environment, in a part of Ireland that both is beautiful geographically and is home to many outstanding Makers.

Read the full interview

Works

  • © Grainne Watts
  • © Grainne Watts
  • © Grainne Watts
  • © Grainne Watts
Photo: © Grainne Watts
Indigo and red vortex vessel

This finely decorated vessel, with multiple layers of vibrant underglazes, bears testament to Grainne’s inspiration from the patterns found in nature. She finds an unpredictable quality in the biodiversity that gives rise to showers of colours and patterns. Much as natural biological forms take on strong colours to elicit a response, Grainne likes to combine vivid colours to stir our emotions.

Height 14 cm
Diameter 16 cm

Photo: © Grainne Watts
Turquoise and red vessel

With several layers of underglazes, this vessel was thrown in two parts, assembled and finely turned. For the decoration, Grainne has chosen bold colours, with the intention of eliciting a strong response, both visually and emotionally. The patterns and colours were inspired by her fascination with the unpredictability of their occurrence in nature.

Height 12 cm
Diameter 15 cm

Photo: © Grainne Watts
Ink Sky

One of Grainne’s Bindu series, this piece was thrown and built by hand, then decorated with numerous layers of underglazes, creating a blue monochrome geometric design. It is characteristic of Grainne’s work, inspired by the unpredictable patterns found in nature that give rise to showers of colours and motifs.

Height 28 cm
Diameter 50 cm

Photo: © Grainne Watts
White vortex vessel

This finely decorated vessel, with multiple layers of underglazes, bears testament to Grainne’s inspiration from the patterns found in nature and the unpredictability of biodiversity. Much as natural biological forms take on strong colours to elicit a response, Grainne likes to combine vivid colours to stir the emotions.

Height 20 cm
Diameter 25 cm

Photo:
Indigo 'Vortex' vessel

Thrown double-walled vessel, finely turned and decorated with layers of hand painted under glaze detail.

Height 22 cm
Diameter 20 cm

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