Nigel Cunis

Japanese inspired ash glazed wood fired stoneware pottery including moonjars, large bottles, tea bowls, cups, flower vases and jugs.

The intention always is to create pleasingly irregular work on the cusp of functional and sculptural and infused with my own style. Most work is wheel thrown with larger pieces made by joining one or more sections including slab-built elements or by combining throwing with coiling (a South Korean technique know as “Onggi”). Many forms are altered (cut, fluted, slip-wiped) to create glaze-catching surface interest. Clay is mainly iron-rich stoneware with occasional addition of silica sand or perlite to give extra body/texture. Some recent pots are of workshop produced black clay with hakeme white slip decoration. Ash glazes are made with ash from a wood burning stove in the workshop. Other glazes include tenmoku, oribe and shino with occasional under and over glaze addition of oxides. There is ongoing experimentation with wood firing effects eg ash deposits and flame-flashing. Pots are fired in self constructed wood kiln (c. 175 pots at a time) to c. 1280˚ C. I am a member of the Northern Potters Association.