Ali Barden United Kingdom

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Working with clay has always been my passion and escape. I graduated with a BEd Hons majoring in art and ceramics and taught for many years. Following early retirement I work in my studio in Hexham, Northumberland where I make small scale ceramic sculpture based on my immediate environment and on my relationships with landscape and within family.

I like to combine words and poetry with the colours and textures of my rural surroundings and the seascapes of my coastal hometown. Using a variety of techniques , including digital transfer, I attempt to create an atmosphere to evoke an experience or recollection...perhaps a walk in the woods...or something in a family history, complemented with a personally significant text. I enjoy the surreal in the everyday and the juxtaposition of serious and whimsical. I often include storytelling in my work, making reference to folklore and mythology.

My work is mainly handbuilt using white earthenware or terracotta clay and a wide range of decorating techniques. I have exhibited work in a variety of settings including theTower Gallery in Seaton Sluice, Northumberland Gallery in the Hills and most recently a joint exhibition at the BottleWorks in Newcastle entitled 'Curious Works'.