Potter Kate Sampson
There is something resolutely bucolic about potter’s Kate Sampson’s work. Bowls and plates decorated with horse chestnut leaves and conkers or dandelions or blackberries usually on a matt black background leave one in no doubt that here is someone who rejoices in the English countryside and its fecundity. The keen eyed will even spot an insect or two rather in the manner of an 17th century Dutch still life painting.
She admits that she likes her pots to look as if ‘they have been dug up with a rusticky tone’ adding ‘I don’t’ like shiny new looking finishes.’
Interestingly she cites Botticelli as one of her main influences ‘If you look closely at ‘Primavera’ you will see that there is a profusion of flowers scattered over a black background.’ The Japanese potter Makoto Kagoshima is another source of inspiration.
Kate became a potter by chance. She and a group of friends enlisted on a taster evening class run by Canterbury potter Clive Soord. ‘I loved it and began looking forward to it every week.’ She continued going for several years to the extent that she felt she was using the class as her own production line. It was time to set up on her own. This was in 2023. Since then, her pots have rapidly gained widespread recognition. ‘I applied to every ceramics fair going.’ A breakthrough moment was participating in the British Ceramics Biennial at Spode Works in Stoke-on-Trent in the very heart of the Potteries.
Originally Kate studied photography in Leicester. On graduation she was immediately called up for jury service. ‘I got on so well with a fellow juror that he employed me in his graphic design company in Folkestone, working on lots of architecturally focused jobs and designing logos.’ After two years fed up with sitting in front of a computer, she left to go freelance working with her sister, Ruth designing art deco style posters and prints.
Her work is a mixture of thrown and moulded pieces. ‘Often I change my ideas as when I get on the wheel, the clay tells me what to do.’
The pieces are decorated at the leather hard stage before they are fired. Kate draws the designs out lightly with a pencil sketch and then goes over them with the underglaze. ‘To some degree you can scrape or sponge away so that you retain a degree of flexibility. I need to feel you can go wrong to achieve a looseness.’
Reflecting on her new career she attributes some of her success to the power of Instagram. Ceramics is a niche field. I didn’t realise how obsessive people are about ceramics.’
Photographs by Jennifer Pattison.
Kate will be exhibiting at:
‘Folklore Myths and Legends’
Green & Stone, London until the 17th October
Oxford Ceramics Fair
St. Edward’s School
31st October – 1st November
Art in Clay
Farnham, Surrey
14th-15th November
‘Beautiful & Useful’
The Garden Museum, London
6th December
