About my work

Claire Seneviratne. Ceramic artist B.A.Hons.

Welcome! I am a ceramic artist and I create smoke-fired pots, smoke-fired paintings and lustre fired jewellery. I am a selected professional member of the Craft potter’s association and the crafts council awarded me a setting up grant to start my business.

I use porcelain due to its strong resistance to wild temperature changes during the smoke-firing process.
My pots are known as ‘fine art pots’ and are not functional. They are not suitable for holding water due to the porous quality of the unglazed burnished clay which is necessary for smoke-firing.

I am very interested in shape and form and love to explore how the exteriors relate to the interiors and how the surface quality effects the whole essence of the pot.
This is one of my favourite quotes as it is about vessels and uses the inside space as a metaphor for strength.

‘The way is like an empty vessel that yet may still be drawn from’.
Lao-Tzu.

I interpret this as comparing the stillness inside with meditation.

I partly glaze my pots and partly burnish them. Glaze is a thin layer of glass and is fired onto the surface of the pot. I burnish the unfired clay with a smooth piece of glass (a lightbulb!). Burnishing is very time consuming but well worth it, as in the smoke-firing process the burnished areas become carbonised with beautiful ethereal markings.
The sawdust, smoke and fire, add their own abstract expressions with some help by myself.

The tonal contrasts can ignite our imaginations, many people have described to me that they can see landscapes, strong seas or planetary explosions, amongst many other things.

The crackled glaze and lustres are also often reminiscent of the land. Patterns of fields, forests and sunlight perhaps.
I do see my work as spiritual; it is definitely my way of life, or path.
Its not about one specific religion. Maybe its an amalgamation of them all, or maybe a spirituality of the universe we come from.

My work is sold in many art galleries and also available online.
www.claireseneviratne.co.uk www.claireceramics.etsy.com



I also design and make jewellery. It can be smoke-fired or glazed with added lustres. Lustres contain metallic compounds and the gold and platinum lustres contain 10% real gold and platinum . Sometimes I add beautiful abalone shells or swarovski crystals. My jewellery is very popular as gifts and they are sent in a specially hand made presentation boxes.

If you would like to view my work before purchase you are very welcome to visit my workshop. Use the contact page to arrange an appointment. I live in Warwick. My work is bought by art collectors and is often bought as special presents or unusual wedding presents.

My signature/seal will be published in the next edition of 'British Studio Potters Marks' Bloomsbury.

I was awarded a Crafts Council setting up grant in 1999 and am a professional member of Crafts Potters Assciation.

I completed by B.A. Honours degree in Multidisciplinary design at North Staffordshire University.

I hope you enjoyed looking at my work. I constantly update my website as I am continuously creating new work.

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Thank you for visiting my site.

Claire Seneviratne