Hamish Symonds

BA (Hons) Ceramics

Drawing on Living History

I create functional pottery, drawing inspiration from UK slipware traditions. I limit myself, as far as I can, to the same materials that would have been used 200 years ago, giving my colour palette a strong link to the geology of the UK. The amber honey glazed pieces with sgraffito have the warm, autumnal, and comforting presence that is ubiquitous with traditional British slipware. The black metallic pieces have quite a different sensibility to the honey glazed pots, their dynamic surfaces of contrasting slips pull through and bleed into one another. With my yellow sgraffito pieces I mostly know exactly what will come out the kiln when fired, whereas the metallic slip is so reactive that it often surprises me with the sheer range of outcomes produced. These pieces are overall more moody and subdued than my sgraffito works, and are an escape from the associations of slipware with countryside domesticity.

This push and pull between committing myself to traditional working methods and yet trying to create work that holds more modern aesthetic sensibilities and works on its own terms is something I often reflect upon in my making.


Rwy’n creu crochenwaith ymarferol, wedi’i ysbrydoli gan draddodiadau llestri slip y DU. Rwy’n cyfyngu fy hun, hyd y gallaf, i’r un deunyddiau a fyddai wedi cael eu defnyddio 200 mlynedd yn ôl, gan feithrin cysylltiad cryf rhwng fy mhalet lliw a daeareg y DU. Mae gan y darnau gwydredd lliw mêl ambr gyda sgraffito bresenoldeb cynnes, hydrefol a chysurus sy’n llwyr nodweddiadol o lestri slip traddodiadol Prydain. Mae synwyrusrwydd hollol wahanol i’r llestri gwydredd lliw mêl yn perthyn i’r darnau metelig du, gyda’u harwynebau deinamig o slipiau cyferbyniol yn llifo drwy’i gilydd ac yn gwaedu o un i’r llall. Gyda’r darnau sgraffito melyn, mae gen i syniad da beth ddaw allan o’r odyn ar ôl tanio’r clai, ond mae natur hynod adweithiol y slip metelig yn aml yn fy synnu o ran yr amrywiaeth eang o ddeilliannau sy’n cael eu creu. Mae’r darnau hyn ar y cyfan yn fwy oriog a thawedog na’r gweithiau sgraffito, ac yn ddihangfa rhag y cysylltiad clos rhwng llestri slip a chartrefgarwch gwledig.

Mae’r dynfa yn ôl ac ymlaen rhwng ymrwymo fy hun i ddulliau gweithio traddodiadol ac eto ceisio creu gwaith sy’n meddu ar synwyrusrwydd esthetig mwy cyfoes ac sy’n gweithio ar ei delerau ei hun, yn rhywbeth rwy’n aml yn myfyrio yn ei gylch wrth greu.

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