Saturday the 10th December sees Fatclay Pottery pop to the Corner Collective to showcase his work and do a demo on the pottery wheel. Having opened his new studio down at Ankle Deep Studios, Matt said he loves the creative space and historic building that sits there. Holding workshops down at the studio space based in the Historic Dockyyard, the ceramicist said that whether you are an absolute beginner or an improver wanting to develop more, you will find the Fatclay Pottery Studio a unique experience.
Chatting to Matt, he said that he first got into pottery at art school where he was training to be an Industrial Designer. Combining his artistic skills in design and a mixture of different disciplines meant he didn’t revisit pottery until the lockdown year of 2020. Like lot’s of people that turned to creative hobbies to fill their time while being stuck indoors, Matt turned his hand to the potter wheel and hasn’t looked back since.
All of Matt's work is thrown by hand on the potter’s wheel and fired twice to stoneware. All the work created is functional and can be enjoyed in the kitchen or around the house. Having worked in the creative industry for over 20 years working in different cities, Matt decided to make Southsea his home and dedicate his time developing his skills, creating work and teaching. He also helps to run the Makers Guild Pottery Studio which is a space run for the community.
Talking of teaching, Matt said “I was asked to run a few workshops for the Makers Guild and ended up teaching all the time there which has been great as I love teaching. Most people come into the workshop with a mindset of "I can't do pottery" and the most satisfying thing for me is seeing them leave the workshop with pieces of work in their hands and then wanting to do more."
Join the ceramicist and Fatclay tomorrow from 2pm and meet the face behind the ceramic company as he does a demo and displays his recent work. He is on hand until 4pm to offer advice and explain his technique he uses in his collections.
Find out more about the ceramicist below and have a look at his website to book a pottery class.
By Lou O’Brien