Birsay Vessel III

These Dishes and Vessels all feature Orkney clay and arose from Bex’s 2023 artists residency in Birsay.

Walking the shoreline at Birsay and looking out toward the Brough every day encourages a profound sense of time, both geological as well as that of human ancestors. Bex read Hugh Marwick’s ‘The Place Names of Birsay’ which details the hyper local location names of the shoreline, while gathering clay, sand and various flotsam and jetsam. She brought this material back to the studio to draw, process and allow the forms to develop in the mind’s eye before eventually returning to the ceramic studio to make. The forms are all made by hand and the surface indentations are made using objects from the beach, including dried kelp, shells and stones. Making and glazing the pieces at home transported her back to Birsay and the glorious time spent exploring the intertidal zone and greeting the seals every day.

This piece should not be put in a dishwasher. Ordinary washing up liquid and warm water is fine to use. Not suitable for eating from or serving hot foods.

Birsay Vessel III, Bex Shaw

Handbuilt vessel made using a mixture of stoneware and clay foraged at Birsay, Orkney & multiple glazes. This piece features surfaces created using tiny periwinkle shells from the beach.

H 15 cm
D 11.5 cm