Shared Material

Derek Wilson

Bringing a sculptural sensibility to the ceramic vessel, Derek Wilson abstracts 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.

Jane Cairns

Focused on the quiet beauty of the ordinary, the unnoticed, and the overlooked, Jane Cairn’s work draws inspiration from the subtle details of everyday urban environments. Living in the city, she is drawn to apparently insignificant details within the built environment and urban edgelands: the negative space left on a wall where something has been removed, the sculptural qualities of abandoned industrial objects, and weathered surfaces marked by wear and use.

She translates what she notices, the visual and formal language of functional things and the store of material references all around us, into sculptural objects and wall panels. Re-presented in this way, the original source remains familiar while gaining enough distance to become abstract, allowing the work to occupy its own independent space.

Using processes and materials that incorporate an element of chance, her ceramics explore the balance between unexpected variation and creative control.

Coming to ceramics as a second career, Cairn graduated from the University of Westminster (Harrow) in 2011. She is a founding member of the artist collective haptic/tacit and a selected member of the Craft Potters Association. Her studio is located in London, on the river near the Thames Barrier.

Matthew Chambers

British ceramic artist Matthew Chambers is internationally recognised for his intricate, concentric sculptures that explore repetition, precision and visual complexity. Working on the wheel, he creates multiple thrown elements that are then meticulously assembled into labyrinthine forms composed of layered rings and pathways.

Often rendered in monochrome—particularly matte black or white—his works emphasise shadow, depth and optical movement. The resulting structures invite close inspection, with shifting perspectives revealing new spatial relationships and internal passages.

Chambers’ practice is grounded in a rigorous technical process that demands both control and patience. Despite their precision, the works retain a sense of rhythm and flow, reflecting the physical act of making. His sculptures challenge traditional distinctions between vessel and object, transforming the language of pottery into something more architectural and immersive. 

Chambers studied ceramics at Bath School of Art before completing his MA at the Royal College of Art. Since then, he has been based on the Isle of Wight working from his studio at Binnel Studios. He is regarded as a leading figure in contemporary ceramics, recognised for pushing the boundaries of form and perception.

Rebecca Appleby

Lithic represents a return to a sculptural language that has existed within Rebecca Appleby’s practice for many years, but one that she is now approaching with a deeper sense of personal connection and clarity.

The work draws initially from quarried landscapes and extracted material, particularly the flat planes, ruptures and fractures created through human and industrial intervention within stone. Earlier explorations of these forms were rooted primarily in observation and material enquiry. Returning to them now, after a significant period of personal and creative transformation, the works have taken on a more autobiographical resonance.

The sculptures exist in a space between geological form and emotional landscape. Ideas of erosion, pressure, endurance and cyclical change are embedded within both the structure and surface of the work. Carved planes sit against softened edges and weathered textures, suggesting the continual shaping of material through time and external forces.

Although the forms appear restrained and minimal, the surfaces hold evidence of process, disruption and repair. Clay becomes a vessel through which ideas surrounding impermanence, transformation and lived experience can be explored quietly and materially.

Lithic feels representative of Appleby’s practice moving forward: a point at which conceptual enquiry, material language, and personal experience have become fully aligned. The collection reflects an ongoing interest in the relationship between natural and constructed systems, while also acknowledging the subtle ways in which time, memory and experience shape both landscape and self.