Ceramics, colour and chance
- Andy specialises in functional earthenware and porcelain pots
- His experiences working in a ceramic tile factory influenced his practice
- He delights in the way that the unexpected can shape creations
Andy Balmer’s relationship with clay goes back to his teenage years, when he found much joy in mixing, wedging and throwing it. He worked in the ceramics department of the school’s craft centre as a student, producing the same designs repeatedly for local craft markets. It was an experience that shaped his approach to ceramics and a deep appreciation of the studio tradition. In the late 1970s, he co-founded Fern Hill Pottery, where he still works today. Alongside his studio practice, Andy has taught ceramics and led the research and development department of a ceramic tile studio, broadening his understanding of glazes, chemicals and firing. His pieces are fired in soda and salt kilns, where unpredictability becomes part of the result. “In pottery, every step involves accepting limitations, accidents and unexpected gifts,” he says.
Discover his work
INTERVIEW
Art is often more about individual expression and ideas. Craft, especially ceramics, is more practical and grounded in utility. A pot has to function in everyday life. Those demands might limit the form, but working within constraints can also bring balance and beauty.
Working in research and development at a ceramic tile factory meant I had to understand the chemistry of clay and glazes and the mechanical demands of tiles, including durability and resistance. It taught me to think more carefully about the structure and longevity of my own pottery.
Figure out how to make things every day. You do not necessarily need graduate school. What mattered most to me was community and working among people who share the same passion. This helped me keep a spirit for the craft.
I make these pieces because I love doing it. It can be exhausting, costly and often thankless, but I will continue to make pots despite those challenges.
