Russell Akerman

The inspiration for much of my work comes from studying the origins and evolution of pottery from various cultures worldwide. I have a particular interest in the aesthetics of various thrown forms and the challenge of creating them on the potter’s wheel. I combine this with the philosophy of working in harmony with my materials and their natural physical properties.

Vernacular shapes and traditional methods show hundreds, if not thousands of years of refinements by countless craftsmen and have always been, for me, a deep creative well from which to draw inspiration. The swelling out of a pot from its foot to its shoulder and back in again, if kept within certain proportions, are generally pleasing to the senses. These proportions seem to be quite common to many cultures, throughout most of antiquity and tell us a great deal, not only about the history of pottery, but also about ourselves.

Born in Hampshire and raised in St. Ives, Cornwall, England, I have by natural cultural inheritance found much