Photo credit: David Westwood
 
Details
Paper porcelain, underglaze.
Fired to 1000 (Bisque) glazed then 1220 degrees centigrade
Wall mounted sculpture
H. 27 x w. 48 x d. 20 cm
 
Zillah’s ceramic figures are hand-built using porcelain paperclay. She begins by sculpting the initial form in paper, allowing her to find the movement and flow before committing to clay. Fine layers of clay are then built over the paper armature in sections, like a clay skin. The head, hands and feet are modelled separately and attached last, imbuing the figure with a sense of life. After bisque firing, she applies inky washes of underglaze to add colour while allowing the inherent beauty of the porcelain to remain visible. The final firing is taken to stoneware temperature.
 
 
About Zillah Puri
Zillah is a figurative ceramic artist whose work explores the relationship between the physical body and the spirit, using the figure to express the fragility, endurance and transformative capacity of the human condition. Shaped by lived experiences of illness, ageing and loss, her sculptures trace a movement from vulnerability to vitality.
She builds delicate, fragmented forms, leaving visible joins that speak of their making. Subtle gestures, such as a tilted head or a curled hand, evoke emotion, presence and connection. Each figure holds a visceral narrative of healing, where fragility and resilience coexist, reflecting the body’s ability to carry, contain and release experience.
 
Her Vitality Women series is rooted in votive traditions and devotional art, drawing on the feminine divine as a source of creation and strength. These figures, no longer tethered by suffering, rise into new states of being. They float, unfold and transcend, capturing the beauty of regeneration and the quiet strength found in transformation.
 
Zillah’s practice is shaped by a feminine perspective and a deep connection to material and gesture. She works with porcelain paperclay for its lightness, responsiveness and ability to hold both fragility and strength, qualities that mirror the emotional tensions in her work.
 
Zillah Puri is a Ceramic artist based in Reading. She graduated with Distinction from the MA Ceramics programme at UCA Farnham in 2024, following earlier studies in Ceramics and a BA (Hons) in Product Design from Central Saint Martins.
 
She has exhibited widely across the UK, with recent shows including Rising Stars at New Ashgate Gallery (Farnham), White Box Gallery (London), Morley Gallery (London), The Turbine house (Reading Museum), The Hub (Sleaford), and the Crafts Study Centre (Farnham). 
 
Her work has been recognised by the Signature Art Prize (Finalist), Rising Stars (Runner-up), and London Potters (Judges’ Choice). She has undertaken residencies at South Hill Park and Jelly Reading’s Arts Council funded 12 Artists at Home.
 
Zillah has taught ceramics for over two decades, combining her studio practice with roles in arts education, curation, and community engagement. She likes to collaborate with other artists and arts organisations, and was invited to contribute written reflections on a piece held in the Crafts Study Centre’s permanent collection.
 
Zillah is a founding member of the Liminal Clay Collective and an active member of Design Nation, London Potters, and Jelly Arts Association.
 
 
Delivery Options
Delivery to Mainland UK within 7 days.
International delivery available, 2-3 week lead time.
 
 
Returns
If for any reason you are not happy with your purchase, we offer a full refund for any returns within 14 days from delivery.