Collection ‘15

Large scale “People Pots” sculptures, over 1m tall. Hand built and pit fired featuring a matte surface with 23.5ct gold kintsugi.

“People Pots” were the inception of Jones’ Wabi-Sabi style, “I found my voice as a maker when I first experienced the destructive nature of thermal shock. It was after one of my biggest pots, just over six feet tall, cracked during firing. The colours and markings were incredible and I was completely devastated. Fortunately, that was when I discovered the Japanese tradition of golden joinery (kintsugi or kintsukuroi) and everything fell into place – all my ideas were now connected and my pots made sense to me. I love the philosophy of kintsukuroi: to see the beauty in imperfection, to put care and time into fixing something that’s broken and as a result increase its worth. It’s a cathartic process, especially in our fast-paced, throwaway society.

I’ve always felt there’s a wonderful relationship between the human body and pots; pots have a foot, body, shoulder and neck. When the vessels are human sized they have a unique presence. Every one of my pieces is beautifully flawed in its own way, and the volatile process they undergo represents the immense journey we all take through life.” - Rhian Jones discussing “People Pots” for Ceramic Review Publication, 2018

Shown at: King Street Gallery, Carmarthen

Photography: John Beynon