Gemma Smale

Ceramics

About

Gemma Smale is a UK-based ceramicist whose practice focuses on the creation of wood-fired ceramics, exploring the relationship between materials and traditional firing techniques. She holds a BA in Ceramic Design from Central Saint Martins, London, also working alongside makers including Michel Francois, Emma Lacey, and Akira Satake. Working both on the wheel and by hand, Gemma produces decorative and sculptural pieces for galleries and interior designers. Recently having built a traditional wood firing kiln, her practice works on progressing her surface development, understanding how the flame and atmosphere within the kiln can interact with her pieces.

Her work has recently been exhibited with Heritage Crafts, at London Craft Week and with Design Nation and she has just won the Make It Award at Cockpit Arts London.

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Process

Gemma Smale\'s work uses reduction fired atmospheres to create dynamic surfaces on her work. Often using wood to fuel her firings each piece becomes entirely unique from ash deposits landing upon the piece and melting to form a glassy surface. Different woods and different firing lengths very much effect the surface of each individual piece, firings can last up to 5 days to create a build up of ash across the surface of the piece. She often restricts her use of applied glaze to reveal the effect of the kiln on the raw clay body.

Wood firing can help to capture a fleeting flame that passes over the piece that leaves the trail of how it passed across the piece. Each indiviual piece tells the story of its firing, the makers that stayed to help stoke the kiln and the position of the piece against the flame. Her large vessels help to show this collaboration with the kiln, each face of the piece telling its narrative and showing its variations as you move around the piece.

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