PETER HAYES

Peter Hayes is an Internationally renowned sculptor and ceramicist working in Bath, UK. Using ceramics, bronze and glass for both interior and landscape environments.

“I have always been interested in the history of ceramics – why and how ‘things’ are made of clay. This interest was extended after I spent several years travelling through Africa working with various tribes and village potters and being intrigued how, with limited technology and basic tools, they were able to get such exquisite, beautiful surfaces. I found the same inherent skills in India, Nepal Japan and New Mexico. I tried to adopt the ideas picked up from my travels in my own work. By building up layers of textured clay combined with burnishing and polishing of surfaces, I try to achieve opposites of rough and smooth.

In practice I go by the seat of my pants. I have always worked this way, not going by any particular rules or methods. I find it joyful to work with many different materials. Each has its own character, its own limits, its own tolerance – some materials fight back, some play the game”.