Whilst studying ceramic design at Staffordshire University, Alex travelled through Japan, spending some time with Numaguchi-San, a 7th generation Jomon ware potter, learning traditional techniques and researching the aesthetic ideas that informed traditional British studio ceramics. Alex also worked under the guidance of master potter Kevin Millward learning traditional, industrial throwing techniques.
From his creation of refined, gas fired porcelain pieces reflecting the precisions of industrial production, to the expressive woodfired pieces that are more acutely related to the freedoms celebrated in the Japanese aesthetic, Alex’s work displays the energy and attributes of the materials and processes utilised to create balanced, honest pots. He attempts to attain a balance between his aesthetic purpose, to display and manipulate the properties of each stage of the creative process into a balanced confident piece, and his own personal belief that the beauty of a pot is as much in its visual presence as it is in how it functions.
Alex makes solely wheel thrown, high fired, porcelain and stoneware objects with a functional purpose. The communication between person and pot though initially always visual, the tactile responses stimulated by its use are where a truer understanding and appreciation of the form and personality of the pot are found.
