Adam Frew

Fortin, Dave

Ceramicist

©Conor Edgell

A sense of energy

Adam balances spontaneity with precision
He creates functional and one-off forms
He used crowd funding to start his workshop

Adam Frew studied ceramics at Belfast Art College, graduating with a BA Fine and Applied Arts. During his studies he spent time working with Winchcombe Pottery, and then for Judy Kuitunen. This time opened his eyes to the realities of the daily routine of making pots. Through this experience he came to love humble small batch production, and made the decision to pursue this as a career path. After university he had the opportunity to be Lisa Hammond’s apprentice. This training, over two years, was invaluable to refine the skills and knowledge he now uses every day to create his pieces. He combines skills at the wheel with an eye for abstraction and mark making.

Interview

©Conor Edgell

©Conor Edgell

What is your inspiration?: I am driven by exploring marks and contrasts. Playing with various ways to make marks; crayons, splashes, drips, masked out and sponged back areas. I loved the immediacy of gestural marks and I strive for a sense of energy in my pots.
Do you work quite intuitively?: With the mark making yes, but each day I have a clear plan of what I need to make. I work to filll my kiln for a firing. Often, I have to consider which pieces will fit in to the space together and normally I have exhibition pieces and orders to make.
What is special about the material you work with?: Clay is a material that undergoes a fascinating transformation from basically mud, to a fragile thrown form, then to a strong solid, fired functional pot. I particularly like porcelain for the clean white body that makes the colours sing.
What do people not know about your work?: There are so many stages to making, finishing, decorating and generally nursing the pots until they are dry. Then they are fired twice in the kiln, first to harden them but keep them porous, then they are glazed and fired again in a gas kiln.

Adam Frew is a master artisan: he began his career in 2006 and he started teaching in 2006