Rowena Gilbert

Being exposed to art all of her life (her father is Terence Gilbert, a very established fine artist), Rowena started to develop a real love of ceramics whilst at Christ's Hospital School in Horsham, from her art teacher who was a huge collector of contemporary fine art ceramics. On leaving school, she went on to study Three-Dimensional Design & Crafts at the University of Brighton, specialising in Ceramics. After graduating with a BA (Hons) in 2002, she set up her own studio in Brighton where she now works as a full-time artist.

Rowena's ceramics have featured in Sussex Life, Vogue, The World of Interiors, Elle Decoration magazines and in The Guardian, The Times and The Metro newspapers (to name a few..) Rowena was selected to become a member of The Sussex Guild of Professional Designer Makers in 2016, was a finalist for the Craft & Design Selected Awards: Ceramics in 2013 and in 2011.

My ceramic work is above all else, a celebration of the natural world informed by my daily observations, travels and life in my coastal hometown. I enjoy the duality of mixing precision with playfulness; many layers of clay slips are built upon in a highly controlled manner, whereas the bold expressive markings applied onto the surfaces are added with impulsivity and freedom. My focus is on exploring the language of abstraction to evoke the elemental power and ever-shifting dynamism of nature, communicating not through narrative and figurative forms, but through mood and momentum.

All pieces are individually hand made by Rowena and have her signature mark on the base. They are high-fired and fully glazed with a lead-free transparent gloss (food-safe).