SOMERSET CRAFT GUILD & SAW
This exhibition brings together outcomes from my ongoing Earth Notes research, developed from my MFA through to current practice. The project investigates sustainable alternatives to ceramics, combining traditional earth-building methods with recycled and locally sourced materials.
Through this research, I explore how vernacular materials and industrial by-products can be used to create new clay composites and unfired forms. Using native clays, soils, and organic matter, I produce works that document place, material behaviour, and environmental context. The focus is on practical testing, adaptation, and sustainable processes that reduce dependence on extractive ceramic production methods.
The culmination of Earth Notes, uniting the body of work and research spanning from my MFA to the present.
Techniques such as cob, rammed earth, and burnishing are used to retain the natural properties of the clay and minimise firing. These methods allow the material to remain responsive to its environment, supporting research into clay’s potential as a living, regenerative substance rather than a fixed, industrial product.
The works shown at Zig Zag include examples of these material studies and site-responsive experiments carried out across Somerset. Some pieces were produced using clays and soils gathered from the local landscape, connecting the research directly to place. The exhibition reflects the progression of Earth Notes from initial academic research into an ongoing, practice-led investigation that links sustainable making, material ethics, and environmental repair.
