Janet Leach (1918 – 1997) Having exhibited and dealt in studio pottery for over 25 years means that I have seen and handled work by all the finest studio ceramics artists that we have been privileged to enjoy. In my … Continued
Poh Chap Yeap was commercially active as a potter for little over ten years in the 1970s/1980s when he was regarded as a major force in the studio pottery world. Early Years Yeap was born the son of a Chinese … Continued
A few miles from the Harlequin Gallery moored on the Thames is the sad sight of the former Mersey Ferry boat, the Royal Iris. A boat that was decommissioned in the early 1990s due to rising repair costs. The Royal … Continued
At the Harlequin Gallery exhibition, opening on 3rd/4th September 2022, four contemporary ceramicists new to the gallery will be exhibiting their work. As an introduction, here are a few words about them and their work. Oliver Fenwick The first of … Continued
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 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
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
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
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
I admired the pots of William Marshall long before I had the pleasure of meeting him, on several occasions, during my regular springtime trips down to St. Ives in the late 1990s. William Marshall, usually referred to as Bill, was … Continued