S a r a h G r o v e
My range of functional jugs and vases fulfil my love of both clay and stitch. As a small child I pressed clay into surfaces and formed it around jars, making little containers. Now I take the delicate nature of textiles and make them permanent in porcelain. An interest in clay and stitch were passed to me by my mother and likewise handmade textiles and precious ceramics are passed from generation to generation.
I graduated from Camberwell College of Arts in 1996 under the tutelage of ceramic powerhouses such as Richard Slee, Ewan Henderson and Jacqueline Poncelet. Having set up my studio in Wimbledon Art Studios in 2000, I soon returned to my love of pressed surfaces, now using a fine plaster to fix them, and began to exploit the vast range of textures and techniques from sumptuous, deeply upholstered silk to thrifty patchwork. I now stitch, stuff and upholster the inexorably feminine textiles, cast in plaster, press and ‘tailor’ slabs to make my porcelain jugs, vases and lamps. As such they stimulate memories of comfort, warmth and curiosity.
I have sold my work at many prestigious craft and art fairs and exhibited in galleries across the U.K, Channel Islands and Europe, including the Victoria and Albert Museum shop.