Sally Toms LAS - Ceramic Artist and Painter
Sally Toms Biopic
Sally Toms graduated from the RCA in 1995. She works from her small studio at the home in the Lake District, where she makes figurative ceramic sculpture.
Sally is proud to situate herself as a traditional ceramic artist. Story and narrative are fundamental to the pieces she creates. Consequently, her work exists at the intersection of many influences. Her work is identifiable for its inherent hybridity, in terms of genre and technique – as well as more metaphysical aspects such as ideas and philosophies. Sally never wants to categorise or limit her work by pigeon-holing it, but revels in its multi-functional nature of both utilitarian vessel and ornate sculpture.
Sally explains this as partially down to her rural upbringing on a working hill-farm, at the head of Langdale Valley – An experience which deeply entrenches itself in her body of work. Living in a relatively dark and isolated landscape, Sally thrived on the practice of imaginative storytelling and unusual use of form and colour. As a result, Sally has developed a unique creative style that has similarities to the honesty, personality and accessibility of the folk-art tradition.
‘They are vessels for stories. The kind of thing you could put in the middle of a room and have a conversation about – Like people would’ve gathered around a fire and told their own stories, thousands of years ago.’ Sally also adores the masterful Miessen porcelain creations, that graced the tables of the upper classes – and the incredible, technically adept ‘feats of fancy’ delft ware Tulip Vases. For Sally, it’s all about encouraging conversations (whether tactile, verbal or internal) – ultimately triggering allegories of culture and creative tradition and exploring her place within that.
