South Africa creative pottery

 

A selection of South African ceramic artists, highlighting the rich diversity of their contemporary clayarts.

 

 

Donve Branch

 

Donvé currently works with kaolin and bastitle clay and uses primitive firing methods to explore the dynamic interplay of fire and earth that defines traditional African pots. She has been a South African Eastern Cape potter for over 45 years and has always loved the rhythm and focus that comes from throwing clay on the wheel. Her organic looking pottery features large burnished surfaces that allow her to explore primitive firing methods for her functional reduction wares. Donve likes to experiment with the many different forms of pit-firing and loves to test and  manipulate the vagaries of the delicate hues and serendipitous highlights that adorn pit-fired pots.
She has ran pottery workshops from her Port Elizabeth studio and was involved with Vlok Potteries but now concentrates soley on studio ceramics. She gravitates towards closed globular forms that are influenced by the functionality and strength of the wares of the rural potter. Donve is drawn to experimention with various combustibles, surface covers and chemicals combined with bisque fired vessels in open pits or saggers, subjecting the pots to single or multiple firings; driven by the desire to push the boundaries of her knowledge
Throwing pots of white earthenware that retain their European form, while pursuing the exploration of the relationship between clay and fire, that characterizes traditional African unglazed pots, defines her attractive pottery.

 

website

 

Agapanthus-Donve-Branch-South African pottery

Globular pots – Donve Branch

 

 

Donve-Branch-pottery vessel with abstract motif

Donve Branch

 

 

Donve-Branch-pit-fired-baluster vessel

Donve Branch pit fired baluster vessel

 

 

 

Donve_Branch=african-potter in studio

 

Donve Branch

 

 

Donve-Branch-globular-pot pit fired raku finish

Donve Branch

 

 

Donve-Branch--terracotta-planter with succulent

Handbuilt  planter – Donve Branch

 

 

Nguni-Jar-Donve-Branch lidded vessel

‘Nguni Jar’ – Donve Branch

Afrikana Gallery

 

Donve-Branch-ovoid-vessel

Donve Branch – ovoid pit fired vessel

 

 

Tall-Waisted-Bottle-Donve-Branch

Tall ceramic bottles – Donve Branch

Afrikana Gallery

 

 

Donve-Branch-horsehair-globular-pot

Donve Branch

 

 

Pit-Smoked-Bottle--Donve-Branch ovoid shape

Pit Smoked Bottle — Donve Branch

 

 

Donve-Branch-squat-bottle-vessel with twin lugs

Donve Branch – squat bottle vessel with twin lugs

 

 

Donve-Branch-black-burnished ceramic bottle

Donve Branch  — black burnished bottle

 

 

Squat ceramic bottle pit fired - Donve Branch

Squat ceramic pit fired bottle – Donve Branch

 

 

Three tall slender ceramic bottles -- Donve BRanch

Three tall slender ceramic bottles — Donve BRanch

 

 

 

Two orange and black globular vessels - Donve BRanch

Two footed globular vessels  —  Donve Branch

 

 

ceramic plate and jar -- Donve Branch

Ginger Jar and Pit Smoked Plate – Donve Branch

 

 

 

two-figure-plate Donve Branch

Two figure plate – Donve Branch

 

 

Burnished globular bottle - Donve Branch

Burnished globular bottle – Donve Branch

 

 

Donve-Branch-ceramic-bowl

Donve Branch ceramic bowl

 

 

 

Charmaine Haines

 

Charmaine-Haines-ceramic-wall-fountain

Charmaine Haines ceramic wall figure fountain

 

 

 

Charmaine-Haines female face and bird motif vase-South-Africa

Charmaine Haines  —  female face and bird motif footed vase

 

Charmaine Haines ceramic plate

Charmaine Haines

 

 

Standing female figure vase - Charmaine Haines

Standing female figure vase – Charmaine Haines

 

Charmaine-Haines ceramic abstract figure sculpture

Charmaine-Haines ceramic abstract figure sculpture

 

 

See more Charmaine Haines here

 

Lisa Liebermann

 

I have been playing with clay for as long as I remember. My journey has taken me from JHB to Cape Town and then to Plettenberg bay where I lived and worked for 15 years. Lisa, a third generation ceramic artist now lives in the vibrant Johannesburg again, creating bespoke commissions, offering regular art classes at a new pottery school in Raedene along with workshops and team building events.

 

 

Agapanthus-Lisa-Liebermann round flat faced bottle

Lisa Liebermann  —  round flat faced bottle, tribal figure motif

Agapanthus

 

Agapanthus-Lisa-Liebermann - ceramic vase

Lisa Liebermann – hand painted ceramic vase

Agapanthus

 

Ceramic panel - Lisa Liebermann

Ceramic panel – Lisa Liebermann

 

 

Ceramic vase with tall female tribal figure -- Lisa Liebermann

Ceramic bottle vase with tall female tribal figure — Lisa Liebermann

 

 

Michael-Cardew-a-Wenford-Bridge-Chalice-Height-17cm

Michael Cardew – ceramic chalice

 

 

 

ceramic headrest Imiso ceramics

Ceramic headrest – Imiso Ceramics

 

 

Imiso-Ceramics---Hand-Pinched-walford1-white-clay-hand-pinched-bowl

Imiso Ceramics—Hand Pinched walford1 white clay hand pinched bowl

 

 

 

John-Shirley-african-ceramic vase

John Shirley

 

 

John-Shirley----African ceramic-vessel

John Shirley

 

 

Ardmore 

 

 

--Ardmore-Buck-teapot

Ardmore Buck teapot

 

 

Ardmore-Ceramic-Art----Buy----Ardmore-Dish

Ardmore floral motif dish

 

 

 

Ardmore-Ceramics-Leopard-relief Planter-

Ardmore Ceramics – Leopard relief planter

 

See more Ardmore here

 

 

Lucinda Mudge

 

Lucinda Mudge’s vivid vases captivate the eye with their rich colours and intricate detail, quite often expressing a range of contemporary and historical sources that convey a complex narrative.  Utilising hand-mixed glazes and stains, each piece is as unique as the narrative it tells using a broad range of themes, images and text. She also likes to pay homage to other famous ceramicists.

 

Striped vase by Lucinda Mudge

Striped vase by Lucinda Mudge – height 44cm

Agapanthus, Capetown

 

 

You-Are-Here-vase --Lucinda-Mudge vase with world map

‘You Are Here’  — Lucinda Mudge vase with world map

 

 

Lucinda-Mudge-Be-Not-Afraid-ceramic-h-48-cm red vase green panel motif

Lucinda Mudge ‘Be Not Afraid’ ceramic vessel

height  48 cm

 

 

Lucinda Mudge-after-Matteo-Nigetti-ceramic-h-43-cm

Lucinda Mudge  —  ceramic vase after Matteo Nigetti

height -43-cm

 

 

the-beat-of-my-heart_yellow vase -Lucinda-Mudge

‘The beat of my heart’_yellow vase  – Lucinda Mudge

 

 

Lucinda Mudge -Thank-You-You-re-Welcome-ceramic vase-h-52-cm

‘Thank You You’re Welcome’ ceramic vase — Lucinda Mudge

height -52 cm

 

 

Lucinda-Mudge-maml-wata-vase

Lucinda Mudge Mami Wata vase

 

 

 

Lucinda-Mudge---Bigger-Better-Faster-Cooler, vase

Lucinda Mudge — ‘Bigger Better Faster Cooler’, vase

 

 

 

Lucinda-Mudge vase-finarts.co

Honey bees vase – Lucinda Mudge

finarts.co

 

 

Lucinda-Mudge-You-Had-It-Coming-tiger vase

Lucinda Mudge – You Had It Coming You Know

 

 

 

After-Cazeaux-I-ceramic-Lucinda-Mudge-h-54-cm

‘After Cazeaux I’ ceramic vase -Lucinda Mudge

height 54 cm

 

 

After-Catteaux-II-ceramic vase -Lucinda-Mudge height-49-cm-

‘After Catteaux II’ ceramic vase – Lucinda Mudge

height-49 cm

 

 

Take-What-You-Want-ceramic vase - Lucinda-Mudge

‘Take What You Want’ ceramic vase – Lucinda Mudge

 

 

 

Thijs Nel

 

karoo landscape pottery Thijs Nel

Karoo landscape pottery  —  Thijs Nel

 

 

Meulsteen-Altar-Thijs-Nel-Stoneware Sculpture

‘Meulsteen Altar’ – Thijs Nel Stoneware Sculpture

Gallery 88

 

 

Still-Life-on-Sotho-Blanket-oil on cnavas Thijs-Nel

‘Still Life on Sotho Blanket’ – oil on canvas by Thijs Nel

Gallery88

 

 

Thijs-Nel-sculptural-ceramic vase

Thijs Ne sculptural ceramic vase

Gallery 88

 

Sculpture,-koning-en-koningin-King-and-Queen

Sculpture,– Koning en Koningin (King and Queen)  —  Thijs Nel

 

 

Large ceramic vase - Thijs Nel, ZA

Thijs Nel, ZA

 

 

Larger-Sculptures-masl-2016-Thijs-Nel jade green abstract male face

Large ceramic sculpture mask  – Thijs Nel

2016

 

'Pomegranate Joy' - Thijs Nel 760mm-x-600mm-Acrylic-on-Canva abstract painting

‘Pomegranate Joy’ – Thijs Nel

760mm x 600mm – Acrylic on Canvas

 

 

Folded ceramic-vessel -- Thijs Nel

Thijs Nel folded sculpture vessel

Gallery88

 

 

lucky-madlo-sibiya-calabash ceramic sgraffito vessel

Lucky Madlo Sibiya calabash sgraffito vessel

 

 

lucky-madlo-sibiya-ceramic-vessel

Lucky Madlo Sibiya incised ceramic vessel, ZA

 

 

Ruan-Hoffman-ceramic-vase black and white abstract

Ruan Hoffman-ceramic vase black and white abstract

 

 

water lily plate - Ruan Hoffman

Ruan Hoffman

 

 

 

Agapanthus-Tim-Morris-ceramic platter

Tim Morris ceramic rectangular dish

Agapanthus

 

 

 

Agapanthus-Johannes-Scott red bowl

Johannes Scott bowl

Agapanthus

 

 

Martin Haines  --  'Willow Tree Cat' pink and white

Martin Haines  —  ‘Willow Tree Cat’

 

 

Agapanthus-Martin-Haines hare figurine-(1)A-studio-potter-living-in-Nieu-Bethesda

Martin Haines ceramic hare figurine

Agapanthus

 

 

Ralph-Johnson-stoneware-bowl

Ralph Johnson stoneware bowl

 

 

Red Porcelain-bowl-Ralph-Johnson

Porcelain bowl Ralph Johnson

 

 

Lee-Hensberg hand paintd vase--freakalee-ceramics

Lee Hensberg – Freakalee Ceramics

 

 

 

Lee Hensberg--butter ceramic dish with bird handle

Lee Hensberg butter dish

Freakalee Ceramics

 

4 Comments

  1. Posted September 26, 2017 at 5:25 pm | Permalink

    Nice combination.

  2. Donve Branch
    Posted October 2, 2017 at 9:46 pm | Permalink

    What a wonderful surprise today to find my work featured. Thank you so much , I really appreciate the exposure
    Kind regards
    Donve

  3. Lynnley watson
    Posted October 3, 2017 at 11:06 pm | Permalink

    Wonderful!!!!! Congratulations to all.. A must-have book!!!

  4. John A Pamane
    Posted July 2, 2019 at 2:05 am | Permalink

    Hi Branch, Im interested in Your work.Where can we find your work in Jhb?

    Regards

    John
    email: [email protected]

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