Winner of the 2015 National Trust Open Call, supported by the Heritage Craft Association and Craft Council

Winner of the National Trust’s first Open Call in association with the Heritage Craft Association, Mary Kaun English’s ceramics are pieces of art. The hand-built clay pieces are smoke fired, allowing the porous clay to adopt colours from the natural materials used to fuel the fire. The results are organic sculptures embellished with the smokes passage across the clay.  

My ceramics are hand built, using strong earthenware clay and classically shaped and designed.

Can you tell us about the smoke firing process?

The clay is first fired in a kiln to strengthen it. I then place it in an open fire pit along with natural materials that produce coloured smoke when burning, such as pine cones, seaweed and banana skins. The coloured smoke penetrates the porous clay and it’s this which results in the myriad of patterns on the ceramics. Banana skins create peach tones; iron rusted red and copper results in red and green.

Each piece emerges from the fire with an entirely unique design, so you can honestly say that every piece is one-of-a-kind.

What do you love about being a ceramic artist?

Pit-firing is an unpredictable process. Every firing is different and until I dig out each piece from the ashes, I don’t know what the result will be. It’s like finding buried treasure. This keeps the process fresh and new for me even after all these years.

Have any National Trust places inspired your work?

As it’s such an ancient, hands on process, I feel a great connection with nature and often take inspiration from the environment around me. Some of the National Trust places which have inspired my work include the jagged shapes of the rock stacks of Carnewas at Bedruthan, the sandy beach at Godrevy and the heather covered cliff tops at St Agnes Head in Cornwall. 

Three words to describe the pieces; organic, community and spiritual.

Working with others who become engaged in the process also keeps my enthusiasm going. My communal pit-firings, where a group of people share the experience of an open air firing, are always very special. Talking to the people who attend the events and teaching them about this ancient skill is really rewarding.

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