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Alison West Ceramics - Saggarfired Ceramic Art
About
From her Dartmoor studio, Alison West creates distinctive vessels and tableware that capture the raw beauty of the natural world. Working with Cornish stoneware and locally sourced clay slips, Alison’s process is driven by experimentation, material interaction, and the transformative power of fire.
At the heart of Alison’s practice is **saggar firing**, a technique that turns each piece into a unique work of art. For this process, she carefully considers and wraps materials such as local hardwood and softwood shavings, seaweed, grasses, ferns, seedbeds, fungi, moss, and lichen around her stoneware pots. These materials, often soaked in oxides and minerals to enhance their effect, are placed into a saggar— a lidded container that creates an enclosed firing environment within the kiln.
During the firing, the materials burn away, releasing vivid fumes that seep into the semi-porous surface of the ceramics. The result is an unpredictable and beautiful fusion of color, texture, and markings, shaped by both the materials and the process itself. Each piece emerges with its own distinct patterns, transformed by the flames and the passage of time in the kiln.
Alison’s tableware is designed to be both beautiful and functional. Made from durable Cornish stoneware, her pieces are ideal for everyday use and are dishwasher-friendly. The latest collection celebrates the dynamic qualities of **wild clay slips** and **terra sigillatas**, finished with a luminous white glaze to highlight the natural textures and tones beneath.
For Alison, the firing process is an adventure of discovery. The unpredictable nature of saggar firing is what fuels her creativity, with every kiln opening offering the excitement of revealing something entirely new.
Explore Alison West Ceramics to experience how fire, material, and process converge to create pieces that are both functional and artistically bold, each deeply connected to the land and its natural elements.
Saggar Fired Ceramic Art Vessels
Saggar Fired Sealed Earth Tableware
Wild Clay Slipware
I start by gathering wild clay from Dartmoor, which I then soak in water to fully hydrate and soften the particles. This process allows me to easily pass the clay through a fine mesh, removing any impurities like roots or leaves. After sieving, I further refine the clay into a silky, fine slip known as terrasigillata. This slip is sprayed and layered onto the piece, creating a smooth, glossy finish that enhances the natural beauty of Dartmoor's clay. To complete the process, I apply an opaque white glaze, which beautifully brings out the rich tones of the terra sigillata beneath.
Saggarfired Ceramics
Living in a traditional pottery region for many years in Japan ignited my curiosity for ceramics and inspired me to delve deeper into the medium. Upon returning to the UK, I had the privilege of training with the renowned Raku potter Bruce Chivers, allowing me to enrich my knowledge and skills.
The allure of the potter's wheel and the physicality involved in throwing captivate me. The tactile experience of shaping clay on a wheel is both invigorating and fulfilling. It enables a connection between myself and the materials. The challenges presented by the wheel drive me to constantly refine my technique and explore new possibilities.
The sagger, containing ceramics wrapped in natural materials collected from Dartmoor and the Devon coast, is sealed and placed in a gas kiln for a slow firing process. As the firing progresses, the natural materials undergo a transformation, releasing color, pattern, and texture that imbue the pottery. The elements interact with the clay, resulting in surfaces that are unique and cannot be replicated. This process creates pottery pieces that bear a connection to their origin and possess individual character.
