Derek Wilson brings a sculptural sensibility to the ceramic vessel, abstracting functional forms into complex constructions that play with balance, light, and shadow. Combining minimal aesthetics with deep material knowledge, he draws inspiration from mid-century painting, modernism, constructivism, and ceramic traditions of Europe and Asia, consistently pushing the boundaries of contemporary ceramics.
His wall-based pieces embrace subtle tonal variations and the quiet drama of surface tension, leaning into the interplay between interior and exterior, utilitarian and abstract.
The exploration of the ceramic surface has evolved: distorting sections by applying darker or lighter areas of engobe. Glazed elements have been added to the exterior creating a dialogue between the interior and exterior spaces. A considered and intuitive approach allows Wilson to create objects that have a sculptural and metaphorical resonance, using this process allows him to question the concept of the vessel.
Inviting movement in the observer, the work asks them to contemplate the significance of subtle tonalities in surface quality and the distribution of light and shadow. The process of dis-assembling elements associated with archetypal vessels that are reconstructed into complex abstract structures is at the core of Wilson’s practice.
Wilson trained as a production potter, working in potteries across Ireland before completing an MA in Fine & Applied Arts at Belfast School of Art in 2007. He established his studio practice the following year and works from his studio in Belfast.