Celia Dowson

Capturing evolving landscapes

• Celia works in both ceramics and cast glass
• Her vessels are everyday objects transformed into artworks
• She mixes techniques to embed movement in her pieces

London-based craftswoman Celia Dowson works in ceramic and cast glass to create unique pieces of beauty. The smooth surfaces, refined colour nuances and essential shapes of her creations express softness and balance at first, but upon a closer look they reveal that the creative process is somehow embedded in the final piece, leaving marks and traces which enhance the expression of movement. Her vessels, as Celia refers to her creations, are the result of a unique mix of ingredients: an utmost respect for the material itself, the skillful mastery of different crafting techniques, specific to both glass and ceramic, the unexpected use of industrial machinery, and a clear intention to let chance play a role in the making process.

Interview

©Emma Dudlyke Photogrpahy

©Emma Dudlyke Photogrpahy

How did you start your life in arts and crafts?

I received a well-rounded education at the Royal College of Arts and at the Central Saint Martins’ School but I also bring along my family culture, like the fascination for machinery that I owe to the time spent in the workshop of my grandfather, who was an engineer.

What is your source of inspiration?

My inspirations are quite common for a maker: nature, light, the possibility to express movement. My goal is to capture movement somehow and I do that by embedding the creative process in the final piece in a natural way.

How do you achieve that?

I master different techniques, which are specific to both glass and ceramic working, mixing them in the different stages of creation. Gestures are completed by the use of industrial machinery and the last ingredient is chance, which adds an element of surprise.

Are your creations for everyday use?

Even though I craft simple everyday objects, like cups and glasses, my objects are mostly for display and they are sold in galleries as artworks, but I also create special series by request, for a tableware brand and for a restaurant.

Celia Dowson is a master artisan: she began her career in 2011 and she started teaching in 2014

Works

©George House Photography

©Alick Cotterill Photogrpahy

©George House Photography

©Sylvan Deleu Photogrpahy

©Sylvan Deleu Photogrpahy

Where