Gregory Tingay, Studio Pottery’s Artistic Director
Background
Born in Zimbabwe, Gregory finished his education in England. He read Art History at Cambridge and was a Bendictine monk for 18 years.
Gregory has trained under some of the most distinguished potters of the 20th century. At Buckfast Abbey, he was apprenticed to Mary Boys-Adams (nee Gibson Horrocks), a pupil of Bernard Leach, and at Quarr Abbey, Molly Attrill was his mentor. Gregory worked and taught at Dartmouth Park Pottery in North London for ten years. Hauser and Wirth, Somerset, have selected him as their Artist in Residence the summer of 2019.
Teaching
Gregory’s background in the Leach tradition informs the teaching ethos of Studio Pottery London. We adopt the rigour and discipline of the historic pottery studios, and temper it with our gentle, nurturing approach, as we focus on building community as much as we do on building the individual’s pottery practice.
As an experienced teacher of fledgling potters, Gregory understands the great benefit of learning either on-one-one, or in small classes. Unlike most studios, at Studio Pottery London, our classes never exceed 6 potters. Gregory believes that under the close guidance of a kind, empathetic and firm teacher, learners will quickly develop a sound technique and grow in confidence.
In Gregory’s own words, teaching ought to build ‘a solid foundation of patient repetition and mastery of small detail so that mind, eye, heart and hand ultimately work as one. It is an holistic approach designed to ensure that the body when throwing is relaxed so that back and neck are not in tension and everything flows. Throwing on the wheel when taught well should become a joy and not a struggle’.
Practice
Gregory is particularly known for his sgraffito pattern-making.
Lucy Attwood, Studio Pottery’s Director
Background
Having studied at The Courtauld Institute of Art, Lucy Attwood worked at Christie’s auction house managing private clients across eighty different sale categories. She then spent time at the Serpentine Galleries managing their patrons. Lucy has arranged international trips for collectors to Art Basel, Venice Biennale, Pakistan and India. Lucy specialises in Post War Contemporary Art, Studio Pottery and London House collections. In 2018, she established Pop Up Pots, a mobile pottery studio that has brought wheels and workshops to all manner of institutions and brands; including Adidas, Instagram, Soho House and Daylesford.
Studio Pottery
On the back of her success with Pop Up Pots, Lucy co-founded Studio Pottery London with Gregory in 2019. As a potter herself, Lucy was keenly aware of the total lack of provision for potters in west and central London. With Studio Pottery London, Lucy and Gregory hope not only to provide a much needed space for creatives, but to grow a community and hub for ceramics.
Annabel Crowther, Studio Manager
From managing the guest lists of The Queens Polo Cup at Cartier to curating brand activations for Stylist Magazine, handling teams of crew during London Fashion Week at Tate Modern and organising a private New Years wedding event ten-levels up, Annabel’s experience spans wildly across the charity, corporate and luxury sectors. Most recently managing client relationships, corporate membership and events at the Tate Britain and Tate Modern galleries, Annabel joined Studio Pottery London as Studio Manager in December 2020.
Over ten years since handling clay as an art student, joining Studio Pottery London has completed the full circle back to her long-standing passion for the arts, craft and all things creative… she only hopes to reach the point at which throwing on the wheel is joyful bliss and not a clay mess.
Omer Oner, Lead Studio Technician
Upkeep of the studio, glaze making, cleaning, organising shelves, turning trimming
Studying Ceramic Design at Central St Martins
Apprentice in Turkey, Kappdocia & Japan Studio Fumio Ito,
Working in hand-building, body casting, experimental glazes and tableware and sculptural pieces
Yau Chung Tong, Part-time Studio Technician
Born and raised in Hong Kong, Yau moved to the United States with his family in his teens. He gained a BA in Ceramics at the California College of Art in 2017, working as an instructor at the American Museum of Ceramics Art and a Studio Technician at Pasadena City College. Following his move to London, Yau graduated from the Royal College of Art in Ceramics and Glass in 2021.
Yau has been working with clay on the potter’s wheel for thirteen years. His work focuses on the functionality of objects and the experience that craft brings to everyday life. He believes the creative process in handling clay captures an impulsive emotion with him when throwing on the potter’s wheel; an inner narrative at a particular moment. It is important to him, that his work not only offers visual sensations to the user but plays a functional part in their daily life. This motivates him to be a ceramic artist, striving to reveal the true self of clay to find the best balance between material, potential users, and himself.
Matilda Moreton, Lead Teacher
Matilda graduated from the ceramics department of Central Saint Martin’s in 2004. Since then she has been working making and teaching ceramics in a variety of ways, as well as gardening and translating Russian.
Mattie is now devoted to the muddy business of potting and when not in the Hampstead ponds, she enjoys splashing around making robustly thrown tableware with slips and oxides. She loves helping people to express themselves with clay.
Mattie has been with Studio Pottery since its launch in Sept 2019.
Celia Dowson, Teacher
Celia specialises in making both ceramic and cast glass and adapts traditional throwing and casting techniques to develop unique surface qualities within her work. Informed by the movement and flux in nature, the colours and changing light of the sky, Celia’s work ranges from the functional to the decorative and is designed to sit quietly within the home.
Celia received her MA from the Royal Collage of Art in Ceramics and Glass and a BA(Hons) in ceramic design from the University of the Arts London, Central Saint Martins. She was awarded the Tom Helme Scholarship from the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust, in 2017 and continues to exhibit and sell throughout the UK and internationally.
Alongside her practise Celia loves to teach and has had much experience working across studios, schools and with private clients. She has an encouraging approach to teaching, sensitivity helping the individuals skills develop in a fun and supportive environment.
Joshua Schoeman, Teacher
Joshua has taught ceramics across Kent and Surrey prior to received his BA Honours degree from Farnham’s University for the Creative Arts. He aspires to invest his joy for clay in his students, and teaches practical technique paired with an appreciation for the many generous forms offered by the potters wheel. Lessons are lead through confident positivity and playful exploration of making.
Joshua’s practise is informed by his childhood in the Orange Free State and his interest in religion. How faith and intangible belief play with the materiality of man-made objects intrigues him, and the pursuit of empyreal expression is explored through his hand built and constructed vessels.
Jago Poynter, Teacher
The Chelsea Potter.
Artist & Craftsman of Fine Ceramics London & Jingdezhen.
V&A cricketer and frequenter.
William Martin, Teacher
William Martin started pottery at the age of 8. He did a pottery apprenticeship alongside studying Art History at the University of Cape Town. William came to London in 2011 to complete his M.Litt in Curating at Christie’s Education. He then went on to be the first mentor and teacher at Turning Earth, followed by a residency at The Florence Trust.
He is now based in South London, producing ceramic and textile pieces at the Kiln Rooms and Bussey Building, respectively. His practice has gradually become more installation-based, with a focus on craftsmanship. In 2019 he was shortlisted for the Young Masters’ Art Prize, and commissioned by Open Space to participate in their annual arts program.
William is known for his porcelain chains but is just as happy throwing components on the wheel as he is with hand-building.
Paul Brooker, Teacher
Paul studied Fine Art at Bath Spa University graduating in 2007. He went on to work in the fashion industry for international brands designing and developing footwear. After a decade as a designer, Paul learnt the craft of ceramics as an alternative to industrial manufacturing processes.
He started his business, Grit in 2019 and continues to create large thrown and hand-built objects, with a focus on graphic finishes. Paul has worked as a studio technician at Crownworks Pottery and SPL. He started teaching at SPL to pass on the fundamentals of studio pottery production.
Ben Sutton, Teacher
Ben studied Earth Science at Oxford University and is a very experience throwing teacher. Ben is wonderfully patient with a methodical approach, taking into account the underlying physical principles involved in throwing.
Ben’s practice ranges from tableware to decorative bowls and vases, with an aesthetic that fuses Scandinavian design with Japanese simplicity. Working exclusively in hand-thrown porcelain, Ben aims to make work that is visually bold yet elegant and tactile.
Freya Bramble Carter, Teacher
Inspired by nature.
Taught by her father Chris Bramble in West Hampstead.
Full-time potter for five years. But has been on the wheel from a very young age. Exhibit and tour work London and worldwide.
Artist residency in the Bahamas with Florence St George.
Puya Vakili, Teacher
While being a true Californian at heart, Puya has called London home for a long time now.
A trained Anthropologist who’s main focus now is everything ceramics – a teacher, technician and maker. His love for making indoor spaces into jungles has transformed his practice into creating all manners of plant plots.
