Claudette Forbes London, United Kingdom

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Ceramics as storytelling, surface as archive. Claudette Forbes’s work holds lived history with a deft, contemporary hand, where decoration becomes declaration.

Born and raised in Bristol to Jamaican parents, Claudette brings together the everyday experiences of urban life with the stories, memories, and traditions of her Caribbean roots.

Working primarily in porcelain, Forbes creates vessels and sculptural forms that become quiet stages for observing the humour and complexity of inner city living. Her work elevates the overlooked and the fleeting, using illustration, surface, and form to intertwine beauty with social commentary and subtle political critique.

She is known for her reimagining of the traditional blue and white Willow Pattern, bringing contemporary identities into conversation with the layered histories embedded in British ceramics.

Her love of music also flows into her practice. She composes soundscapes using saxophone, vocals and improvised percussion instruments to enhance the narrative of her work.