Hannah Bould is a ceramic artist based in South East London. Her works have playful mood with minimal expression in monochrome color. Let’s take a glimpse into the background of her works.
You can see her works here
WHY DID YOU START MAKING CERAMIC PIECES?
After graduating, having studied Illustration with a focus on printmaking, I worked at a fine art print studio for a number of years. There was a ceramic studio in the same building that offered evening classes, which I attended for a year or so. I felt very inspired working with clay and began to set up my own studio at home before working full time as a potter after a few years making ceramics.
WHAT INSPIRES YOU?
The clay and process itself inspires me, there is always so much to learn in ceramics and I feel I have only scratched the surface!
ARE THERE ANY ARTIST OR POTTER WHO ASPIRED YOU?
Karen Bunting is an old family friend and her work has always inspired me. We had a small collection of her pieces in my childhood home and I remember loving them even as a child. Nicola Tassie is an artist whose work always amazes me, I assisted her for a short while and if I could eventually make work half as good as hers, I would be happy!
PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR APPROACH TO TECHNIQUES AND MATERIALS.
I don’t like to deliberate too much when I’m working and like to work quite quickly. I find I make my best work this way. I like to keep things as simple and expressive as possible.
I’ve always worked in black and white; I like how this automatically connects my pieces and makes them recognizable as mine, I also enjoy the restriction of a pared back color palette as I focus on the pattern and mark making. I really enjoy the process of throwing and turning on the wheel and find it incredibly meditative.
HOW DO YOU COME UP WITH THE PATTERN IDEA, WHICH MAKES YOUR WORK QUITE UNIQUE?
I think my printmaking work made whilst I was at college, established a style for me that I translated onto clay. I feel there is a real similarity between mono printing* and my style of ceramics, with no two pieces being exactly the same.
I’ve always enjoyed experimenting with the unique marks that a specific tool or brush can make and find that that can dictate the kind of pattern I create with it.
*mono printing is a printmaking technique in which the image can only be made once, unlike most printmaking which allows for multiple originals
WHAT IS IMPORTANT FOR YOU WHEN CREATING?
I like to work on my own and I can go for long periods of time silently working. I think I need a lot of space to think and clear my mind. I like having a long stretch of time ahead of me too, as I can loose track of time when I’m enjoying what I’m making.
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO TRY IN THE FUTURE?
I am going to spend the next few months having an experimental break, trying out some new ideas and techniques. I would like to make more time for this in the future to keep me feeling inspired. I would love to do a residency abroad and my dream would be to spend some time in Japan making work!
IF YOU HAVE ANY MESSAGE TO THE USERS, PLEASE!
Thank you for taking the time to read this, it is very exciting for me to know my work is being received in Japan!
ORIFT OWNER’S COMMENT
The first encounter with her work was about six years ago when I saw her mug in a store in London. My heart was suddenly grabbed by the lovely mug in a unique style which I had never seen in Japan before. I brought it back to my home without hesitation. I am very happy to be able to introduce a piece that I have used almost every day, and I would be even happier if it became your favorite as well!
Profile photo credit 2022, Hannah Bould
Hannah Bould
Ceramic Artist based in South East London. She creates handmade and wheel-thrown works with a graphic, painterly style.
Web site: https://www.hannahbould.com/
Instagram: @hannahbould