Judith Davies at her studio in Fife | Photography © Lydia Smith
Judith Davies
Ceramicist
Judith Davies’s profound connection to materials and processes perfectly emulates the exhibition’s theme. She is inspired by the coastal environment, rivers and estuaries and the liminal space where water and land meet. Precious, mysterious, and pulled by the moon, she sees water as a life-giving force and an essential influence on her work. Water’s capacity to erode, and to slowly affect and change solid surfaces of stone and sand through constant motion, is a direct influence on the pieces she has created for Hag.
Davies’s approach to ceramics and drawing, inspired by the natural world and the tension between chance and control, adds a tactile and contemplative dimension. Her work arrives through experimentation, touch, and material processes, with the hand-built and coiled pieces evolving as she works. Her forms are organic and asymmetrical, and often have a rippled surface obtained through a rhythmic form of burnishing, mimicking the movement of water over sand ridges.
After layers of richly coloured pigment are washed in and rubbed back, the marks of her hand are revealed and her touch remains embodied in the work.
Biography
Trained in Fine Art and Illustration, Judith Davies returned to education gaining a Post Graduate Diploma in Ceramics from Goldsmiths College (1992), followed by a Master of Arts in Ceramics from University of Central Lancashire (2012). Her work is inspired by the coastline, its geology and natural history, reflecting her fascination with the sea and how watercourses and channels are formed. She hand-builds sculptural forms with surfaces that are intensely tactile, giving the impression of ripples in water. Her work employs processes developed from experimentation, consequently holding a unique presence. She works from her studio in North Fife.
Davies has exhibited her ceramic work for over 30 years, having two solo exhibitions at the Hart Gallery, London and exhibiting at Ceramic Art London, Handmade Chelsea and Art London. She has taught both ceramics and drawing, delivered participatory art projects and collaborated with many artists on projects and installations. Recent exhibitions include Kiss of the Sea, Graystone Gallery, Edinburgh (2024); Summer Exhibition, Sarah Adams Studio, Cornwall (2024); Then and Now: 100 Years of Visual Arts Scotland, Royal Scottish Academy and Dalkeith Palace, Edinburgh (2024); Ulaidhean/Treasures: Society of Scottish Artists at Gairloch Museum, Gairloch (2024).