For the series 'Seven questions with...' Art UK publishes interviews with emerging and established artists working today.

Lowri Davies is an award-winning artist working from her studio at Fireworks Clay Studios in Cardiff. She works in bone china and porcelain, creating collections of beautiful teacups, jugs, vases and plates illustrated with delicate images inspired by her roots in Wales.

I caught up with Lowri following the publication of Engage Cymru's new resources about five Welsh artists living and working in Wales. We worked with the National Arts Education Network, in collaboration with artists Rhian Haf and Elly Strigner, to produce these resources to support the Expressive Arts Area of Learning and Expertise in the new Curriculum for Wales. This project was supported by Contemporary Art Society for Wales using artworks from their distributed collection.

Cup & Tray, Large Vase and Teapot

Cup & Tray, Large Vase and Teapot

2022, bone china & porcelain tray by Lowri Davies (b.1978). Private collection. 'Large Vase' has a painting of Lavernock Point and a kingfisher, and the 'Teapot' has a painting of a waterfall on the Hafod Estate

Siân Lile-Pastore: How important were the arts in your school education, and do you notice any difference with how your children are taught art in school today?

Lowri Davies: I was fortunate in that I was brought up within walking distance of Aberystwyth Arts Centre and attended pottery class on a Saturday morning as well as clay and print workshops through primary and secondary school.

My children are naturally introduced to more art activities as I'm a practising artist, but in school, one of my children also experienced an Arts Council of Wales Lead Creative Schools project. I could clearly see the benefit and I'm fully aware of how lucky he was as this experience is not available to everyone. My other child might not experience this as the year group is far larger.

I'm also part of a group of parents who run an Urdd group and there's a strong emphasis on competing in the Arts and Crafts category at Wales's Urdd Eisteddfod.

Vase

Vase 2009

Lowri Davies (b.1978)

Aberystwyth University School of Art Museum and Galleries

Siân: How did you first get involved in ceramics?

Lowri: My first introduction was at the Arts Centre. I thoroughly enjoyed the pottery classes on a Saturday morning but was always so disappointed by the fired pieces as the glazes were always a variation of browns and greens!

 
 
 
 
 
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Siân: There's an obvious link to your Welsh identity in your work – the Welsh ladies in traditional dress for instance. I've also read that you were influenced by your Nain's house, her Welsh dresser and all the items displayed. How do the birds and drawings of cups in your work play into this?

Lowri: The birds appeared in my work whilst studying for my MA in Stoke-on-Trent. This interest came about due to luck and timing, as I was revisiting Nantgarw and Swansea ware and I'd also seen a taxidermy exhibition at Ceredigion Museum in Aberystwyth of birds by a Victorian company called Hutchings. Birds appeared on Nantgarw and Swansea ware and it was an opportunity to create contemporary versions of these collections.

I then visited numerous taxidermy collections to draw and study including The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery in Stoke-on-Trent, the Horniman Museum and collections at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. As regards to my Nain, there are elements which are personal and others which are more general. I loved the aesthetic of her home and I believe that her home had a strong influence on my colour palette.

Llanelli Vase: large vase decorated with objects created at Llanelli Pottery

Llanelli Vase: large vase decorated with objects created at Llanelli Pottery

2022, bone china by Lowri Davies (b.1978). CASW collection

Siân: Hearing that the birds are drawn from taxidermy changes the feel of the work for me. They feel much more rooted in history and museum displays, is that the intention?

Lowri: Museums have always been important places for me. If I'm ever looking for inspiration, I will often visit a museum. Ceredigion Museum, St Fagans National Museum of History and The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery are definitely some of my favourite places. I'm aware that people generally might feel uncomfortable with taxidermy but there were examples in my primary school (probably made by Hutchings) therefore in an unconscious way I became familiar with them. I clearly remember there was a large seagull and a badger at the school!

Sugar Bowl

Sugar Bowl 2009

Lowri Davies (b.1978)

Aberystwyth University School of Art Museum and Galleries

Siân: You work with a limited colour palette, often using pinks, yellows and blues. Could you tell me more about your colour choices?

Lowri: I can define five different periods of change in my colour palette. The first period was when I was in secondary school and I was experimenting quite heavily with colour – maybe too much at times. I then lost two grandparents, one from each side, and colour simply disappeared. Nain's home was left as it was for a number of years and I spent time drawing there. The strong bold colours in my earlier work come from this period.

I went to Stoke-on-Trent to study for my MA and the difference between the colour palette of Stoke and Aberystwyth were so dramatically different that I was drawn to the colours of Aberystwyth, and those are the colours that I used until the coronavirus pandemic. Since then, my colours have become stronger again, partly because of a beautiful new Sennelier watercolour set and probably because my children were young too.

Tea Set Collection

Tea Set Collection

2022, bone china & porcelain tray by Lowri Davies (b.1978). Private collection. Cups and saucers with paintings of Llyn Cregennan, of a curlew and a tree; a large tray with a teapot with a painting of a waterfall at Hafod Estate; and a sugar bowl with ducks

Siân: You've previously mentioned Eric Ravilious as an inspiration: I feel there are similarities in your work, such as the limited colour palette and nostalgic feel. What is it about his work that stands out to you?

Lowri: I was first introduced to him whilst visiting the World of Wedgwood in Barlaston, Stoke, and saw his Garden Collection. They were so different to anything else. The colour yellow then played an important role in my early MA work which was a definite nod to Ravilious. Some of the works on Art UK remind me why I was first drawn to him, like Model Ships and Railways, Railways Pharmaceutical Chemist and Coachbuilder.

Model Ships and Railways

Model Ships and Railways 1938

Eric Ravilious (1903–1942)

The Ingram Collection of Modern British and Contemporary Art

Coachbuilder

Coachbuilder 1938

Eric Ravilious (1903–1942)

The Ingram Collection of Modern British and Contemporary Art

I then researched his other works and was drawn to the images of his beautiful mural on Colwyn Bay pier and his drawings of Capel-y-Ffin. His Second World War drawings are incredibly beautiful but are also so poignant, especially as we know that he disappeared during a flight to Iceland during this period.

Wet Afternoon, Capel-y-ffin

Wet Afternoon, Capel-y-ffin

c.1938, watercolour & pencil on paper by Eric Ravilious (1903–1942)

Siân: You work at Fireworks Clay Studios in Cardiff. How important is it for you to be around other makers?

Lowri: Fireworks has played a major part in my practice. I never expected to be there this long and I'm now the member who has been there the longest. I feel fortunate to have been part of this community and I think we often take that element for granted. The Studio now has stronger links with Tudor Lane itself, where it's situated. The lane houses a number of other businesses and other creative practitioners which has created a wider community. Our graduate scheme at Fireworks is an element of the cooperative which has been long-lasting and has assisted numerous newly graduated students. I'm very happy to have played a small part in this element of Fireworks.

Siân Lile-Pastore, Engage Cymru Coordinator

Engage is the leading charity for promoting engagement and participation in the visual arts. Through advocacy, research and training, Engage helps ensure the quality, inclusivity and relevance of engagement and participation opportunities across the UK. Engage is a UK-wide organisation with Wales and Scotland-based activities led through Engage Cymru and Engage Scotland. Engage is supported by Arts Council England, Creative Scotland and Arts Council of Wales.

The publication of this content was supported by Welsh Government funding

 

 

Further reading

Engage Cymru's new education resources on five artists living and working in Wales

Explore Ceramics on Art UK

Visit Lowri Davies' website