Shirley Vauvelle

Shirley Vauvelle is quickly becoming recognized nationally and international as an established British maker.   Shirley creates wall hung and freestanding sculptures using white earthenware to hand build components, small creatures, birds and fish. Texture is embossed into the surface of leather dry slab rolled clay. After hand building a component it is bisque fired. Then under glazes and oxides are applied and rubbed away to give layers of colour. Fired again at a higher firing temperature. Components are then assembled together with driftwood, wire, vintage maps to create a narrative giving the components a harmonistic relationship with the reclaimed materials.

Her work is inspired by moments in time, such as an observation made in her garden or on a walk along the east coast where Shirley lives. With her sculptures there is an underlying quirkiness to each piece.