Patricia Shone at her studio on Skye | Photography © Lydia Smith
Patricia Shone
Potter
Patricia Shone describes her work as operating somewhere between science and alchemy as she embraces the process of transformation, both in her materials and in her creative journey. Shone starts with raw clay, the feel of which provides her with a physical connection to the world, then shapes it through knowledge and skill, mirroring the resilience and wisdom of earlier generations of women celebrated in the concept of the “hag.”
Finally, she allows the unpredictable magic of raku firing to reveal something entirely new. Shone sees in her works an expression of herself, an artist working within the human history of the material world. Her work is grounded in the controlled forms of functional vessels, which are then liberated from constraints of function by ruptured, textured surfaces. Her work balances the skill and knowledge required for consistency across her pieces, then the alchemy arrives when the unexpected happens. Texture is crucial to the finished pieces and the physical response a person might have to holding them. They can evoke memories, thoughts, and emotions unique to each person experiencing them.
Biography
Patricia Shone was born near Glasgow but grew up in South-West England and studied ceramics at Central School of Art, London. She returned to Scotland and settled on the Isle of Skye, where she has lived and worked for over 30 years. Referencing the land, climate and communities of the Highlands, her work seeks to express the contrast and balance between inner and outer, surface and contents, of a container or of a human being.
In 2024 Shone celebrated 25 years of making with a solo show at The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh. Other recent exhibitions include Borrowed Land, Kilmorack Gallery, Kilmorack (2023); The Elemental Landscape, Contemporary Ceramics, London (2021); Collect, Saatchi Galleries, London (2019) and participation in the annual Ceramic Art London showcase 2015-2024.
Shone was awarded the Emmanuel Cooper Prize for ceramics in 2019 and was selected for the Homo Faber: Best of Europe showcase at the inaugural Homo Faber event in Venice, 2018. She has been a Selected Member of the Craft Potters’ Association since 2015. Shone’s work is held in public collections at Victoria & Albert Museum, London, Pallant House, Chichester, Ceramini Contemporary Ceramics Museum, Turkey, and in private collections in UK, USA, Europe, Australia and People’s Republic of China.