Kim Colebrook
Abergavenny, UK
"Alchemy - a seemingly magical process of transformation, creation, or combination. I see Alchemy in the geology of south Wales; the way that the power of the earth changed decaying trees and plants into coal and iron, and then how the force of the moving plates moved, cracked, and concertinaed the solid layers of rock into the geological strata that makes up the South Wales Coalfield."
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"The communities of the South Wales Coalfield are connected by the hidden geology. The layers of coal, ironstone and clay which fuelled the industrial revolution show the power of nature which has distorted and split the strata. I use the layers, the geological pressures, as well as the voids created by extraction within my work as a metaphor for the way that history and memories are buried and distorted with time and distance."
"Working with porcelain allows me to explore the hidden. Geological layers are built within blocks of clay, in a loose Nerikomi fashion. By slicing sections and rolling I aim to integrate the translucence of porcelain into my work, creating simple forms that allow people to see the layers hidden within the walls."
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Following a career working in Heritage and Tourism in Wales, Kim Colebrook was a late comer to her ceramic practice following joining a portfolio course at Hereford College of Arts. She went on to study Contemporary Design Crafts BA, again at Hereford before studying Ceramics MA at Cardiff Met University. Upon graduating, she was awarded a Graduate Workshop at the Fireworks Clay Studios in Cardiff for a year, before setting up her studio in Abergavenny just before Covid lockdown.
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Her award-winning work has been exhibited across the UK including selection for Y Lle Celf, National Eisteddfod 2023.
'2 Large Cubes on Burnt Porcelain Plinth', porcelain, black onyx porcelain and iron spangles, 11 x 22 x 10 cm
