Grant to Museum & Art Swindon to support research and scholarship for its book and exhibition project: ‘Beneath the Surface: A Century of Studio Ceramics in Britain’
In the 1970s, forty British studio ceramics were transferred into the care of the museum and art gallery in Swindon. Among them were works by significant post-war artists, including Lucie Rie and Hans Coper, as well as earlier work by Katherine Pleydell-Bouverie. Initially purchased as a teaching aid for the Swindon School of Art, this important group of works would kick-start a new direction in collecting for the museum.
Up until this point, the museum’s growing modern art collection largely consisted of two-dimensional works. It included paintings by some of the most important British artists of the 20th century, and was continuing to grow through acquisitions by leading contemporary artists. The addition of studio ceramics bought a new dimension to the art collection, enabling people to explore modern creativity through clay-based practice.
The ceramics collection now contains around 250 artworks, produced by artists of regional and national significance. It represents many of the trends and styles of 20th century British studio ceramics. Owing to the time the collection began, it is particularly strong in its representation of post-war artists, and those of the late 20th century, and demonstrates the variety and vibrancy of creative practice at that time. However, through gifts and bequests, the representation of earlier ceramics continues to be strengthened.
There are many examples of revolutionary hand-building techniques by artists such as Gordon Baldwin, Alison Britton and Carol McNicoll. The delicate porcelain of Mary Rogers, Ewan Henderson’s rebellious experimentalism, and Grayson Perry’s early social commentary are among many examples of distinctive approaches in the 1970s and ‘80s. The collection also contains several works by artists who were inspired by the teachings of Bernard Leach, including his son David Leach, along with Richard Batterham and Katherine Pleydell-Bouverie.
Contemporary ceramics demonstrate how creative practice with clay continues to grow and transform, through work by artist such as Kate Malone, Edmund de Waal and Akiko Hirai. The contemporary collection shows the extent to which studio ceramicists such as Grant Aston and Sara Radstone have entered the realm of sculptural practice. Meanwhile the opening up of the ceramic vessel as a site of creative intervention is shown through numerous works, including powerful pieces by Ashraf Hanna, Malene Hartmann Rasmussen and Sarah Purvey.
Locally significant work also forms an important part of the collection. It features domestic ware from the Winchcombe, Cricklade and Ramsbury Potteries, and work by Peter Burgess who advised on the collection’s development in its early years, and his mentor Peg Campion. Artworks by the likes of Fenella Elms, Patricia Volk and Sasha Wardell represent Wiltshire-based artists with regional significance.
With a broad representation of clay-based art throughout the 20th century to today, the collection has the potential to develop audience knowledge about the significance of studio pottery and contemporary making in Britain. Museum & Art Swindon continues to collect modern and contemporary studio ceramics, with recent acquisitions made with the help of grants from Arts Council England, Art Fund, Contemporary Art Society, National Lottery Heritage Fund and private donations.
Beneath the Surface: A Century of Studio Ceramics in Britain:
In May 2026, Museum & Art Swindon will reveal a large showcase of the collection. Beneath the Surface: A Century of Studio Ceramics in Britain will be the first exhibition of its kind to celebrate the ceramics collection in its own right.
Beneath the Surface looks at the history of studio ceramics in Britain, from the early 1900s until today. It examines the foundational ethos of studio ceramics, which placed beauty and practicality at the heart of everyday objects, and traces the evolution of clay as a contemporary art medium. The exhibition highlights the fusion of innovative styles and techniques over the last century, and the porous boundaries between art and craft, breaking down limiting categories of fine art and craft items.
Drawing on a particular strength of the collection, Beneath the Surface also explores the significant impact of female artists on the development of studio ceramics, from Katharine Pleydell-Bouverie in the early 20th century to radical contemporary ceramicists such as Sara Radstone. This will include recent acquisitions by Natasha Daintry and Tessa Eastman, donated by Brian Kennedy and Peter Ting in 2025.
The exhibition celebrates the collection and the rich history of studio ceramics contained within it. It also reveals the important untold stories behind the collecting narrative, exploring the significance of the collection’s foundations as an educational resource, collected by local potter and teacher Peter Burgess and transferred to, and further developed by, the local authority.
Published alongside the exhibition, the book will reflect its key themes: Creating a collection for Swindon, Beginnings, East Meets West, The Rise of Studio Potteries, Ceramics into Art, Reimagining the Vessel and Now. Themes will be explored through introductions written by the exhibition curators and highlight objects. There will be 30-40 highlight objects throughout the publication, enabling readers to see a meaningful selection from the collection. Like the exhibition, the publication will pull out the strong representation of women in the collection, which reflects both their important and increasingly recognised roles in the development of studio ceramics.
The publication will include new writing on what the collection tells us about the significance of potteries in the South West, and how its foundations reflect the place of studio ceramics in education. These special essays will be written by the museum’s inhouse curators, Katie Ackrill and Kirsty Hartsiotis. It will also include a forward written by a notable advocate for the collection, and an essay by an external specialist in the field of studio ceramics.