Emma Preece - Ceramist

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About: I grew up in Buckley and I've always had a passion for the ceramic history of the town. I attended Elfed High School and with the help of the art department my passion developed more.

I secured an excellence bursary at the Cardiff School of Art and Design and completed my BA (hons) Ceramics in 2010, achieving a First. I continued my studies and received my MA Ceramics. My artwork is currently showing in a group exhibition in Seattle.

Clay, traditionally a medium for decoration and historically tied with positive experiences/emotions, becomes in my work a tool for revealing complex global issues and aspects of the social condition. I express my feelings using clay; describing an awareness of the issues Im concerned with. 

We surround ourselves with objects and ornaments that have some sort of significant value to us; but what happens to these objects when we pass away? Recently, I have been exploring the identity of objects left behind from loved ones. The objects have lost their attached identity but have the capacity to still be significant to others who knew the original owner. The objects themselves, through their materiality, describe the absence of that person - their presence can trigger memories.

I have incorporated forms that signify preservation to create a discourse between the ornaments and their context. I have used the bell jar form for its museum connotations, exploring the preservation of the ornaments; layering some of the forms to represent the family generations of preservation for the objects. These layers slowly break down as time passes and this is described in the pieces.

To see more of Emma's work visit her website here.