For the last 10 years, I have been making large raku-fired pots with generous, round shapes, using coiling techniques that I learnt from African potters in Somalia and Sudan. Over this period the shapes of the pots, as well their decoration, have continued to evolve and develop.

In decorating the pots I like to use strong geometric patterns. I exploit the contrast between glazed surfaces and black, unglazed areas to create tension, rhythm and movement. My intention is to design patterns that interact with the spherical forms of the pots in dynamic and striking ways.

The firing techniques I use for all these pots is raku. Post-firing reduction blackens all the unglazed surfaces and transforms the glazed areas: the process creates interesting colours which, although partly unpredictable, are the key to achieving a fusion between the striking decorative patterns and the smooth spherical forms.