Pursuing a childhood passion
- Terry is a studio potter
- He travelled all around the world before opening his studio in Italy
- He is always experimenting with new natural materials
Terry Davies is a studio potter, that is to say an artisan working alone and carrying out all the stages of manufacture by himself. He creates unique items that often bridge the gap between the functional and the artistic. His work and his research are inspired by the notable British artist Bernard Leach, also known as 'the father of studio pottery.' Today Terry lives and works in Italy, in a restored farmhouse in the heart of Tuscany, however, the journey that led him here was all but smooth. He spent most of his life travelling to distant countries such as Colombia, New Zealand, Australia and the Philippines to research indigenous pottery techniques, in between throwing pots and cups at an incredible rate in order to fund his travels.
Interview
- What brought you into the world of pottery?
- I visited Jersey Pottery as a child during a family vacation and I was hooked. My mother encouraged me to pursue this passion by taking me to a local workshop that run pottery classes for children. I spent all of my free time there and soon enough, while still a child myself, I was assisting the potter in his studio and with the classes he taught.
- How did you transition into ceramics as a profession?
- I was lucky enough to be one of the last in England to be taken as an apprentice in a workshop. I spent the next few years learning the ropes, mastering the techniques of throwing and the disciplines and routines of workshop life, basically setting the basis for my professional life.
- What does it mean to be a studio potter?
- It means that you are a bit of everything. Besides being a potter, you need to be a woodworker in order to build your own tools, you need to be able to lay bricks, work with steel, build your own kilns, and of course manage your entire activity, the sales and your social agenda.
- What inspires your work?
- My work and my research are very much practice-based. The external part of my pots usually features a rough texture in warm earthy colours which are somewhat inspired by my surroundings. For the inside, I am constantly experimenting with new, natural materials – for instance wood ash – to create different colour glazes.
Terry Davies is an expert artisan: he began his career in 1979 and he started teaching in 2020
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Terry Davies
