Clay has been part of Laura’s identity since childhood. Working with clay has always felt intuitive to her. As a pre-adolescent at her first pottery class, she felt as if she had rediscovered an old friend. She could create anything in her imagination and portray it in an earthy, solid medium. The tactile qualities of the clay delighted her then, and still do decades later. Laura studied at the School of Art and Design of the Witwatersrand Technikon in South Africa. Her mentors prioritised transformative philosophies. Clay arts were liberated from Anglocentric traditions  which focused on “form follows function”.  These outmoded belief systems were replaced with newer, fresher approaches. Laura internalized these influences and birthed her own unique style and visual vocabulary. To this day, she finds herself perpetually exploring the decorative possibilities of surface and integrating the applied design with the form of the vessel as she produces her work. With mass production challenging the significance of artists and artisans who produce by hand, making quality, original and thoughtful work becomes a priority. Laura feels honoured to have found her creative voice with clay.

 

 

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