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©Clare Bowes
©Michael Lawler
©Michael Lawler
©Michael Lawler
©Yeshen Venema

Kirsty Adams

  • Ceramicist
  • Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
  • Master Artisan
Kirsty Adams Ceramicist
©Michael Lawler

Faithful to simple forms

  • • Kirsty is a widely recognised UK ceramist
  • • She is deeply influenced by the simplicity of Japanese ceramic forms
  • • One of her collections celebrates the Icelandic “otherworldliness”

Since the late 1990s, Kirsty Adams has been refining her practice on the potter’s wheel, to capture and express the essence of her ceramic craftsmanship. She is fascinated and highly influenced by the Japanese ceramic masters. In fact, she went to Japan for two years at the beginning of her career to learn Japanese techniques and refine her practice. Kirsty creates unique pieces whose simplicity of forms and delicacy express an outstanding mastery of the wheel’s work. Her collections, including the bespoke range designed for the National Trust's Artisan and Craft Collection, investigate and celebrate several techniques that she mixes together in order to pursue the most challenging and sophisticated of goals: simplicity and spontaneity.

Read the full interview

Works

  • ©Matthew-Booth
  • ©Clare Bowes
  • ©Clare Bowes
  • ©Clare Bowes
  • ©Kirsty Adams
Photo: ©Matthew-Booth
Blue moon jars

These thrown white porcelain moon jars belong to the Icelandic collection. They are glazed with a combination of tin and cobalt oxide dipped and poured. The textures are created with a Japanese comb tool whilst throwing to enhance the thrown lines.

Photo: ©Clare Bowes
Bronze rim moon jars

These thrown white porcelain moon jars are a reference to Korean traditions and the purity of the moon jar form. Kirsty Adams takes inspiration from the volcanic mountain ranges surrounding Reykjavik in Iceland. The jars are textured with a Japanese comb tool whilst throwing. The edges are finished with an oxide and bronze rim detail.

Photo: ©Clare Bowes
Shoreline pebble dish

Taking inspiration from Northumberland’s coastlines and rockpools, this dish was thrown in onyx porcelain, part glazed, part unglazed. The unglazed pebbles sitting nestled on the unglazed part are sculpted and hollowed from onyx porcelain.

Photo: ©Clare Bowes
Large black stoneware moss moon jar

This tall and narrow moon jar is inspired by the volcanic landscapes of the Reykjanes Peninsula. The inside was poured with a copper green glaze, dipped on the rim with layers of copper green and rutile. The clay surface is textured with a Japanese comb tool whilst throwing to enhance the thrown lines.

Photo: ©Kirsty Adams
Large Reykjanes vessel

This is a tall, straight sided vessel in a black textured stoneware, poured and dipped inside and out with copper green and brushed on the rim with rutile. Reflecting the mossy, volcanic landscapes and escarpments of the Reykjanes Peninsula, it belongs to the Icelandic collection. Texture was added with a Japanese comb tool to enhance the lines from throwing.

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