Bill Ismay
Bill Ismay, was the most important collector of studio pottery in the UK during the second half of the 20th century. His collection of over 3600 pots and the supporting archive of around 10,000 items is the cornerstone of the … Continued
Hajimu Kato
Hajimu Kato was born in Shigaraki in 1946 and his fantastic wood-fired pottery is some of the best that the Harlequin Gallery has shown throughout its existence. His family’s business was one of the major commercial companies producing Shigaraki pottery … Continued
Ceramics from the Trevor Coldrey Collection
Trevor Coldrey has collected studio ceramics for over 40 years but it has become necessary to downsize recently. This is due to moving from the original Harlequin Gallery site to a flat a short distance away. The move took place … Continued
Richard Batterham – a life with pots
Richard Batterham, who had just turned 80 when I originally wrote this, became fascinated by pottery as a schoolboy and, following a 2 year apprenticeship at the Leach Pottery, set up his own studio in Dorset in 1959. There he … Continued
Studio Pottery from Britain and Japan – Pots in May
Studio pottery, with an emphasis on that of British makers, will be offered in the first Harlequin Gallery of 2021. Three specific artists make up the first part of this selection of studio pottery. Then the second part will concentrate … Continued
The Oriental Connection
The final online exhibition of 2020 considers oriental aspects of studio ceramics collecting. The work covers the last 50 years and explores how ancient oriental processes continue to be used to this day. The exhibition begins in mid-November and will … Continued
Ursula Mommens – Form and Function
During the time that I staged exhibitions of potters’ current work at the Harlequin Gallery in Greenwich, Ursula Mommens was one of my best-selling artists. She attracted many collectors from around the country, including the legendary, Bill Ismay. Bill, whose … Continued
Towards Abstraction: Abstract Ceramics
The ceramics in this exhibition, beginning on Monday 14th September 2020, are moving towards the abstract, when compared to those in the last exhibition. Having said that the art historian, Herbert Reed, stated over 80 years ago that “pottery is … Continued
Frank Fidler – Tachiste artist
Frank Fidler, who will be a new name to many of you, decided that he wanted to become an artist while still at school. There he excelled at drawing and regularly topped his class in the subject. He was … Continued
Alan Wallwork – in his own words 2009
Below are the autobiographical notes supplied by Alan Wallwork for the Harlequin Gallery exhibition in March 2009, shown here in full. With an early interest in film design, I was put on the waiting list for a training scheme launched … Continued