David Roberts

For the past 25 years I have devoted myself to making hand built raku ceramics. Large and simple, my vessel orientated forms exhibit a concern with the volumetric qualities of hand wrought pots together with a fascination for, and control over, surface markings arising from the firing processes. Since 1990 conventional glaze surfaces have been abandoned to investigate the aesthetic possibilities of differing textural treatments of the clay body and its interaction with smoke markings and deep carbonisation. In a manner similar to a painter using pigment on canvas the fundamental elements of fire and smoke are exploited to express meaning and define form. The resulting vessels reflect an engagement with my local landscape and interest in post war abstract painting.

Born 1947, Sheffield, Yorkshire, U.K.

Education 
1966 -1970  Education Honours Degree, Bretton Hall College,

Selected exhibitions
2006 Terra Viva Gallery, Provence, France; Gallery Puls, Brussels. Belgium.
2004 Hart Gallery, London; SOFA, New York with Clay Gallery; Master & Pupil, Clay, Los Angeles; SOFA, Chicago with Clay Gallery; Le Décor du Trait ..au Sens, Musee Palissy, St Avit, France; IAC exhibition, Icheon World Ceramics Centre, Korea.
2003 Carlin Gallery, Paris, France; SOFA, Chicago, USA; Formazione Concreta, Perugia, Italy; Centrum Goed Werk, Belgium.
2002 Masterpieces, Turin 2002, Turin; SOFA, with the Hart Gallery, Chicago, IAC, Athens, Greece.

Public Collections include:
Cleveland Craft Centre; Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge; Lotherton Hall, Leeds; Museum of Wales, Cardiff; Royal Scottish Museum, Edinburgh; Stoke-on-Trent Art Gallery & Museum; Ulster Museum, Belfast; V&A Museum, London; Yorkshire Museum Services; Aberdeen Art Gallery, Scotland; Deruta Museum, Italy; City Of Geneva Collection, Switzerland; World Ceramics Centre, Icheon, Korea; Benaki Museum, Athens, Greece.