Natural sericite porcelain stone, Jingdezhen, China

Steve Harrison’s ceramics take simple forms - specifically bowls and cups as a vehicle through which to articulate concerns around ceramic history, the environment, and a way of life based upon trying to touch the ground lightly. His research into kiln and clay technology has led him to a simplification of production and sourcing of materials that strips ceramics back to its origins.

His important series of bowls known as '5 stones' are made from the five naturally occurring sources of porcelain in the world: Jingdezhen, China; Yanggu, Korea; Arita, Japan; Cornwall, UK and Mittagong, Australia. Harrison's investigations into these sources stretch over 15 years, from 2002 to 2017. He is interested in the origins of these porcelain sources, specifically centred around a rock called serecite, which is ground and processed into a clay body without additives. It is this sourcing and pressing, and the making of the work near the source which is of interest to Harrison. Workng on the idea of sustainability, works are made from a 50-kilometre-wide palette of materials, not only for clay and glaze materials such as local rocks, shales, gravels and ash, but also the wood that fires the kiln.

The artist states: ‘ One of my favourites… my first chance to handle the ‘original’ Sericite porcelain in China to gain insight and experience into my discovery and the development of my own Joadja Aplite porcelain. Totally unique! It’s also really gorgeous, I didn’t turn the inside surface, so the slight undulations of my
fingerprints on the inner surface are part of its character. Naive and beautiful. a ‘careless' natural elegant beauty and oh so translucent and white. Amazing object.'