Cornwall LivingIssue #144
Art in focus: Doherty Porcelain
Finding perfection in porcelain
Ceramicist Jack Doherty works in his studio gallery in Trinity House by the harbour in Penzance. His unique porcelain vessels are made from china clay and copper, two minerals from the Cornish landscape. Thrown on the potter’s wheel, then carved and shaped when the clay is soft, his work reflects the fluidity of the material and physicality of making.
Jack has developed his technique using a soda kiln to fire his work. This process creates a rich and unexpected palette of colour and surface texture. The elemental aesthetic of his work is created by the fusion of fire and soda in the intense heat of the kiln, leaving behind a subtle palette of smoky grey, lemon, russet and turquoise.