Paul Young – Slipware Mermaid SORPY5

Paul Young Ceramicist

“Ceramics have been a part of my creative heart and profession for over thirty years. During this time I have been drawn ever closer to the traditions of English earthenware, slipware and European folk art. While taking inspiration from all of these, I feel the strongest bond lies with the Staffordshire wares of the eighteenth century. Potters like Ralph Wood, John Astbury and Thomas Whieldon continue to please, excite and amuse me. Appearing both naive and sophisticated in its execution, their work has a charm and honesty combined with the sheer joy of just being alive. In my own work I hope to convey a joy, narrative and intrigue for the viewer.” Paul Young

Paul Young trained at Sheffield and Chesterfield College of Art in the early 80s. With work in both public and private collections, Paul creates figurative pieces and functional slipware pots for kitchen and dining. From his studio in a Victorian railway station, Paul both throws and handbuilds pots in white and red earthenware clays, decorating them with coloured liquid clays (slips) to create complex detail. His modelling talent is impressive and with the lustrous glazes and drifts of inky colours he favours, the overall result is dynamic.