Carolyn’s aim is to make intriguing objects that invite handling. “I want people to pick my pieces up and turn them over, feel the weight of them, their textures, how they fit in the hand. So surface texture and weight are just as important as form and colour really.”
Working primarily with clay, Carolyn takes an experimental approach. Starting with a simple solid form such as a cube, she carves, shapes and refines, choosing muted colours and arranging forms in groups. “I love the density and solidity of the clay and the slow processes of carving and scraping. These allow time for decision-making while I make, rather than having it all mapped out beforehand.”
Based in Brampton, Northeast Cumbria, Carolyn has exhibited widely in the UK as well as Venice and Montreal. Collaborations with other artists have included an Arts Council England funded installation at a former haematite mine in West Cumbria, and joint multi-media shows with sister Frances at Geltsdale RSPB reserve. In 2025 she was shortlisted for the New Light Summer Exhibition Award, Leeds.
Carolyn has degrees in modern languages and Southeast Asia Area studies. She recently completed an MA in Contemporary Art and Archaeology at the University of Highlands and Islands.
- Web: www.carolynmarr.co.uk
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/carolyn.marr.ceramics
