Martha Todd

Head and arm, slip cast porcelain, transparent glaze and wire

Toy box, slip cast porcelain, transparent glaze, gold lustre, textile and metal box

Work by Martha Todd at the Royal College of Art graduate show

"My work is primarily conceptual. I make objects that represent my thoughts and findings in life. I enjoy dark humour and am particularly interested in the audience’s reaction to the unusual and absurd. This work is a continuation of the theme of my recent dissertation ‘Confronting the Abject’, exploring human reaction to the abject physical form. Man has always been fascinated by people and animals with physical peculiarities. Although visually we are drawn to the unusual and unknown, we are most comfortable when we view them from a ’safe’ distance."

Hanne Mannheimer

Seventy four threads of life (detail) porcelain, wood, cotton, thread, wool

Bird in cage, Found objects, transfer

Work by Hanne Mannheimer from this years graduate show at the Royal College of Art.

"More often than not, it begins with a found object, like the texture of a thread or the memory of a porcelain figurine. Sometimes the found can be a story, even a few words describing something or a feeling that needs to be made in a tactile and fragile material."

Felicity Aylieff

Felicity Aylieff at Contemporary Applied Arts, 2 Percy Street, London W1 until 14th November.

The Everyday Life Collector

The London Design Festival ended yesterday, I managed to get to a couple more shows. This was lovely, one man's life collection of ceramics, Richard Lamb.

Jacob van der Beugel

Memento mori (detail)

Ceramics by Jacob van der Beugel. 'My installation pieces are very large, two or three meters long, and based on Dutch 17th-century still lifes, with themes, like memento mori and vanitas, which are often lacking in ceramics, and I hope give the work a depth.'

Origin

Ceramics by Ikuko Iwamoto, photo by Mark Crick

Origin, the London Craft Fair is on at Somerset House, week one continues until 12th October, week two is from the 14th -19th October.

Origin week 2

ceramics by Kaori Tatebayashi

I went back to Origin at Somerset House today to see the second instalment of the London Craft fair, where makers from across the UK and Europe show and sell their work directly to the public. The show runs until Sunday 14th October. I did not have so much time this week to talk to the artists but I did see some great work, including ceramics by Kaori Tatebayashi. I have chosen a selection of the work that made me feel most inspired. I could have happily spent a few more hours there looking and absorbing some amazing work. I was drawn to the makers whose work crossed into the realm of art. 2 years ago at Frieze art fair I noticed that there were a lot of artworks using traditional craft techniques including embroidery, tapestry and ceramics. At Origin this week I felt the opposite - crafts people were pushing their work beyond the utilitarian to make work that was not instantly accessible or functional and there was a noticeable move towards creating narratives in the work. Kei Ito had created 2 beautiful installation wall pieces which I sadly do not have images of. Enough of my ramblings - I should let the work speak for itself. Here are a few more of my favourites ...

Katrin Moye

ceramics by Katrin Moye

I had such an interesting talk with Katrin Moye about her ceramics and the influences for her latest work. The designs are all related to members of her family and make reference to an early memory of pattern evoked by clothing or furnishings associated with that person. I was immediately drawn to her work by its familiarity - but with a strange sense of recognition of my own childhood memories. Wonderful work.