Emerging artists from Sheffield and beyond displayed their creations for visitors this weekend, as the festival returned to the city for its 12th time.
Crowds of visitors made their way to Kelham Island Museum for the Sheffield Ceramics Festival, which showcases the unique work of up-and-coming sculptors.
From dainty crockery to eye-catching sculptures, the event had a range of work for visitors to browse and purchase.
Charlotte Easingwood, whose pottery focuses on female empowerment, showcased their work for the third time at the festival.
Charlotte Easingwood’s pottery makes use of the sgraffito technique. (Image credits: Amy Field).
“It started out over Covid, looking at isolation and need for connection,” she said. “I started drawing these figures who are lost in space, floating or falling, you couldn’t really tell.”
She uses a technique called sgraffito to scratch out the glaze, depicting hair reaching out for the connection of another woman’s hair. This means her pieces unite as one but are uniquely individual at the same time.
In contrast David William Sampson uses the imperfections of ceramics to create “children”.
David William Sampson’s “children”. (Image credits: Amy Field).
His work is inspired by American author and philosopher, Sam Keen, who wrote: “We come to love not by finding a perfect person, but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly.”
Mr Sampson uses a mixture of clay and porcelain in his creations to encourage cracks and imperfections.
He said: “I make a body of work which encourages the ‘not-perfect traditional’, but this does not mean it is not beautiful in its own way.
“It challenges the idea of how clay is used and the beauty of what something is.”
He described people’s reactions for his work as a “spectrum” from hate to love.
“When you first see my children you don’t know if you love them, fear them, or hate them and whatever reaction is fine because its your opinion and you’re valid for that, but it is the interpretation that I’m excited by,” he said.
The festival used to be located at Meersbook park until Covid, then it moved to Kelham Island Museum, the home of forging and creation in Sheffield, a perfect location for the event.
Founder Brian Holland with his creations (Image credits: Amy Field).
Founder, Brian Holland, said: “This is a good space where we have been able to expand and attract more people.”
Each year, money raised from the festival’s entrance fees goes to The Archer Project, a Sheffield-based charity that helps people to progress away from homelessness.
The festival highlighted the creativity of artist form Sheffield and the surrounding areas, allowing them to sell and display their work and meet fellow ceramic enthusiasts.
