Sasha Wardell, Ceramic artist

ABOVE (left-right): Tall Edge vase, £250; Space bowl, £90 (layered and sliced technique); Shoal porcelain teapot, £135; bowls, £45 each.

Naomi Jones chats to ceramic artist Sasha Wardell, who is passionate about the methods as well as the material.

Were you always set on an artistic path?
I had been interested in art at school, but while studying for my A levels in Art, French and German, I was planning to become a bilingual secretary. However, when an inspirational art teacher suggested a more creative future might suit me, the career in languages was left behind.

What formal training did you receive?
Firstly, a foundation course in Cambridge in 1975; then a BA at Bath Academy of Art (where I had originally applied to do graphics but transferred pretty swiftly into the ceramics department); and subsequently an MA at Staffordshire University. I graduated in 1981, set up my studio the following year, and have been working for myself ever since.

ABOVE: Large Space bowl (slip cast bone with layering and slicing technique), £500.

Where do you look for inspiration?
Although the natural world is a rich source of ideas for patterns and decoration, I consider my work to be process-led. Working in a couple of factories during university on an exchange scheme in Limoges, central France, and at nearby Royal Doulton, Stoke-on-Trent, I discovered a complete fascination for the ‘problem solving’ aspect of ceramics – working out how moulds functioned and the idiosyncrasies of bone china as a ceramic material. So I try to exploit those inherent qualities of whiteness and translucency within my work; travel is an equally important inspiration, while light and form play an important role, too.

Do you have a favourite piece among your recent collection?
Yes, I’m most proud of my largest ones as they represent a real challenge, both physically and technically; these include the large Space bowl and the tall Shoal vase.

How would you describe your workshop?
Very calm and tranquil: my studio is housed on the top floor of a 16th-century mill at Stowford Manor Farm (stowfordmanorfarm.co.uk) on the Wiltshire/Somerset border. It is particularly light and airy, and extremely quiet apart from the sounds of the gushing water powering the mill. Although I work alone, there are other makers’ studios on the site (ranging from stonemasons and sculptors to glass and clay artists) so there is always someone around for a chat.

ABOVE (left-right): Veil vase made from slip cast bone china with water erosion decoration, £150; Sasha busy decorating a piece in her studio.

Who do you admire most in the creative world?
Bodil Manz, a Danish ceramicist, whose paper thin porcelain pieces have always been an inspiration for me; and Andreas Steinemann, from Switzerland, who consistently demonstrates extraordinary technical feats with porcelain.

If you weren’t a ceramicist, what would you be doing?
I’d probably be working in something to do with languages or horses (my other passion) – so I might well have been a translator or a three-day event rider, perhaps.

What advice would you give others who want to be more creative in their lives?
Attend a course with like-minded people.

For more information on Sasha’s work go to her website at sashawardell.com or call 0785 511 0603.

WORDS NAOMI JONES PORTRAIT BY KIT LOGAN PHOTOGRAPHY
Featured in the January 2011 issue of Period Living