ali gane ceramics West Yorkshire, United Kingdom

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Ali is a Yorkshire-based ceramic artist exploring place, memory, and connection. Influenced by the work of Ewen Henderson and inspired by the landscapes around her, Ali’s work combines tactile surfaces with vibrant colours and textures, creating distinctive pieces that convey a strong sense of place.

I started my ceramics training in the 1980s at Ripon College in North Yorkshire where I studied for a BA (Hons) in Geography and Art. Under the tutelage of Victor Priem and Peter Clough, I specialised in big, classically shaped and meticulously constructed coil pots that were simply glazed and mostly fired in a gas kiln under reduction.

Many years later I joined the creative and supportive ceramics community at Harrogate College where I started to explore exciting new ways to work with clay that were adventurous and authentic. I then went on to complete a Masters in Creative Practice in 2025. This experience gave me time to experiment and broaden my practice and has led to the re-imagining of my ceramic work through the medium of macro photography.

I'm primarily a hand builder and my work is informed by the patterns, textures, forms and colours found in the natural environment. I combine white, red and black clays to create a unique patchwork of strata-like patterned clay that is applied to formers and moulds. After bisque firing, each piece is glazed using multiple glazes and then fired in an electric kiln to 1215.

My current work is inspired by the colours of the Croatian coast. These pieces transport me back to the glistening turquoise sea and the limestone rocks we swam off each morning during a recent holiday. I hope my work sparks something in you too, perhaps to contemplate, reminisce, and be transported somewhere magical!