Lesley Yorath

"Find beauty and perfection in imperfection"

This is the ancient Japanese aesthetic of 'wabi sabi', which is the philosophy of finding beauty in things that are imperfect, impermanent and incomplete. It is a mantra that I have long been aspiring to hold in my journey with ceramics. I look hard to see the perfection in the little imperfections, it is a transient beauty that is hidden in front of our eyes. Most people can see imperfection, but it is a gift to appreciate it as beautiful. Let me just say that working in ceramics is an unpredictable art form and there can be many imperfections that enhance your work.

My work is predominantly hand-built, asymmetrical, porcelain vessels and occasionally slip cast ware. It can best be described as: embodying simple form, inspired by organic shapes, restrained clean lines, elemental surface decoration. I rarely use glazes, preferring to use a combination of terra sigillata, smoke firing and sometimes gilding with wax or metallic lustres. I find nature to be a huge resource of inspiration: nothing in nature is symmetrical or linear. It can be rich in texture, pattern, shape and colour, yet it is always simple. What could be more mesmerising?