Claire Malet

Claire Malet is a metalsmith artisan who works with precious, non-precious and found metals. The shapes and textures of natural forms and landscapes, such as fragments of sea-worn shells and rock formations of battered coastlines, inspire Claire’s work. She also finds inspiration in the characteristics of the medium, working intuitively and allowing the metal to suggest a direction. Claire is particularly drawn to vessel forms, which she believes are one of the most basic and universal of objects, in daily mundane use and playing vital roles at occasions of celebration and honour. Claire works from her studio in rural Herefordshire and exhibits in the UK and internationally, including at Collect held annually at the Saatchi Gallery, London. She has pieces in several public collections, including the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

Growing up in a creative family, Claire Malet was always destined for a career in making. After an art foundation course she spent 15 years working in community arts, developing projects in schools and care homes, before finally deciding to focus on her own work. A degree at Hereford Art College led her into metalwork, while her varied artistic experience fuelled her desire to use all sorts of different metals, from recycled materials to precious metals, to create unique sculptural vessels. She now works from her home in rural Herefordshire where she gets inspiration from the countryside around her. “I walk every day and that’s absolutely crucial. It doesn’t look like I’m working but I am!”

The Artisan: a crafted tea room Exhibition