Rachel Gray’s work integrates the traditional techniques of studio pottery with a contemporary approach. The natural qualities of the clay, the marks of the making process and the subtle surface details of the glazes enrich simple thrown forms with fluid brush marks for decoration. 

Inspiration comes from patterns and textures in worn away surfaces and marks made through use and time, scratched lines, graffiti and lettering as well as from fine art, fashion and textiles.

Rachel originally trained in Textile Design at Chelsea College of Art and then for an MA in Textiles at UCA but pottery has always been a passion. She learnt the basics at evening classes over twenty years ago and now works from her home studio in Salisbury.

Rachel says:

“Making and using ceramics is a tactile experience and throwing pots on the wheel is about creating forms and curves that feel right in the hands as well as to the eye. The texture and brushstrokes of the glaze, the weight of the pot and the marks of the making process all combine in the finished piece. The flecked buff clay brings warmth through to the glaze and iron flecks break through to the surface. The brushed decoration echoes the energy and movement that goes into the making of the pot, both balancing and interrupting the stillness of the forms, managing to be both quiet and dynamic.”