Jack Doherty went to Ulster College of Art &amp; Design in Ireland wanting to become a painter but after a visit to Lucie Rie’s studio he changed his mind and decided to make pots for a living.

He is particularly interested in, what he describes as “the usefulness of things”, the idea of an object having a place in life. This is not necessarily about pieces having a specific function, they can be used for drinking, sharing, storage, display, or simply for contemplation.

Jack’s technical process is key to his work. He uses the space within the kiln to develop a new colour palette and surface texture unique to each form. Created using one clay, one colouring mineral and a single soda firing, Jack has simplified and refined his making process, stripping away unnecessary elements to produce work with depth and complexity.

Each piece is hand thrown and finished with a unique surface of pale blues and earthy browns in mixture of glossy and matt textures.