An exhibition marking the 50-year career of potter Mark Griffiths is running at the Leach Pottery, blending tradition with individual expression in every pot.
Mark presents an array of forms, exploring squared bottles, jugs, and larger shapes such as chargers and bread crocks. These works feature alongside a range of more intimate pots such as yunomi and tea bowls.
Each pot reflects Mark’s deep commitment to his craft and his belief that “good form is vital”. He says: “In pots, the form is the foundation upon which decoration and glaze are based.”
The works are thrown in one piece, or thrown and altered, or slab built, then decorated by brush and oxides, or by incising the wet slip.
Mark Griffiths. Photographs: Matthew Tyas
Mark grew up with the ‘lifestyle of Leach’ — the belief that being a potter is a dedicated life, a journey that began, for Mark, with functional pots before evolving into more individual, expressive creations. The influence of European and East Asian forms is evident in his practice, which has developed from his earlier work in production pottery.
Mark established his first workshop in 1975 with the help of a New Craftsman Grant awarded by the Crafts Advisory Committee, and began his career making domestic stoneware. In 1982 he relocated to Shropshire where he established his current studio, kilns, and showroom.
Mark Griffiths: Half a Century — Full of Craft runs at the Leach Pottery until 6th July, and will then be online from 21st July to 17th August.
