Making in dialogue with the Irish landscape
- Patricia crafts ceramics by harnessing the materials of ancient terrains
- She transforms natural elements into sculptural forms with texture
- She sources clay with the environment's interest at heart
Patricia Millar, born in Belfast under the shadow of Cavehill, draws inspiration from the ancient Irish past. Her childhood was spent exploring Bronze Age sites, digging clay, and firing bowls in bonfires, experiences which inform her ceramic practice today. Based near Lisnagunogue on the iconic Causeway Coast, through her work, Patricia celebrates the form, colour, and texture of materials sourced from site-specific locations such as boglands, Ice Age shorelines, and basalt coasts. Committed to sustainability, she gathers clay from eroded banks, fuel after storms, and gravel from ditch clearances, alongside recycling waste from furniture makers and her studio. Patricia's practice harmonises geology, anthropology, and materiality to craft pieces deeply rooted in the landscape.
Interview
- What drew you to clay?
- Finding clay as a child, it seemed second nature to make bowls. This innate exploration of clay has never left my practice. Growing up beside Neolithic sites, my forms have traces of archaic domestic life. I fire using the ancient technique of pit firing.
- How is your craft influenced by your landscape?
- The landscape is the starting point of any build. I combine anthropology and geology to give a sense of us in a specific time and place. I am lucky I live in a diverse area of landscapes, bringing a rich mix of materials. My work is not just about a place, but rather it is made from it.
- What is your creative process?
- I keep notes, I sketch, I research geology, archaeological finds and folklore. I collect site-specific materials and explore their possibilities. A library of materials and maquettes emerge from all this. Discovering their qualities dictates form, colour and texture of a body of work.
- Do you use any particular techniques?
- I begin by making several groups of clay components both thrown and hand-built. These are cut, stretched and altered with added inclusions from the materials library. When the build begins, it is spontaneous and rapid, with several pieces being made at the same time.
Patricia Millar is a master artisan: she began her career in 2015 and she started teaching in 2015
Where
Patricia Millar
