Details
Stoneware & porcelain
H. 42 x dia. 31 cm
 
 
About Alison Lousada
Alison Lousada grew up in rural Cheshire near the Potteries border. After a BA Hon’s in Textile design at Brighton she had a long and well established career as a print designer for several luxury fashion houses. A lifelong passion of pottery collecting led to a career change and Alison trained under the guiding eye of Nicola Tassie, who encouraged her to set up her own studio in 2016.

Alison specializes in creating distinctive and individual ornamental stoneware vessels. They investigate the collaboration between the domestic bellied form and the broken fragile painted surface. Using a combination of stoneware course clays and porcelain, pieces are repeat fired resulting in cracked and blistered finishes. The addition of volcanic engobes and lava stone deepen the textured and disrupted veneer which is so integral to her practice.

Inspiration & Influences: Travelling, Icelandic landscapes, vintage ceramics, 1970’s German pottery, Ikea, the material itself, chemical reactions in the kiln, Japanese ceramics, wabi sabi, imperfection, porosity, textures, volcanic rock, rule breaking, domestic vessels, African milk pots, cracked surfaces, bellied forms.

Monochromatic and natural tones, areas of pastel, gold lustre highlights
Textures: rough and smooth, Matt and shine, raw unglazed clay, sharp edges, scratched and scored.

Technique & process: All vessels are hand built and/or wheel thrown. Pieces go through multiple firings, layering glazes and volcanic engobes, the form is the canvas, painted, brushed on, poured on, porcelain applied with a palette knife and fired at the end so that shrinkage creates cracking. Volcanic rock melts and blisters in with the glaze.