Justine Allison
Porcelain maker
Newcastle Emlyn, United Kingdom
Leaning into clay’s limits
- Justine creates porcelain works that sit between function and ornament
- Her work draws on calligraphy, minimal colour and subtleties of light
- She embraces imbalance and tension, letting the material take the lead
Justine Allison's vessels lean, twist and defy the limits of balance. Raised in South London in a creative household, her work draws on her early skills in calligraphy and illumination, introduced to her by her father. Justine first discovered porcelain at Camberwell College, where she made thin walled forms that captured or diffused light with subtle colour. Living and working in rural Wales, she builds ceramic vessels in groups that converse visually and spatially, with off-kilter angles and delicate stripes. "My practice is guided by the clay itself. I shape each piece both with determined patience and off-the-cuff intuition," Justine says.
INTERVIEW
I grew up in a creative family and I loved making. I did not particularly love school, so I always knew that I wanted to attend art college. My journey with ceramics began when I experimented with clay at Camberwell and explored thin porcelain forms.
I roll, cut and assemble everything by eye, so there will always be a natural unevenness. The slightest imperfection can push the assembled piece off-centre, but I embrace that! Movement has always been really important: I learn by trying things out. If it goes wrong, it is all part of the process.
I have always been very deliberate with my colour palette. My creations have always focused on featuring very stark contrast. I often work with one colour, or with gold, which is my little nod to light, calligraphy and illumination.
I am interested in taking a signwriting course to learn about brushwork and painting directly on vessels. I am looking forward to more time to myself and determined to evolve my work, perhaps through a residency.
