Northern Potters Association

The aim of the NPA is to encourage and support artists in the production of sculptural, functional, fine art and decorative studio pottery in all its forms throughout the North of England

Stuttard, Kim

  • KimStutard3
  • KimStutard6
  • KimStutard5

    Credit Rob Parr

  • KimStutard2
  • KimStutard1

    Credit David Schofield

I’ve always been interested in the democratic credentials of clay, how it infiltrates every household be in functionally or decoratively. How it tells our stories be they royal, revolutionary or everyday quiet commentary.
My practice revolves around storytelling, with this present body of work inspired by table manners and the numerous systems and traditions in place regulating dining. Anchored in tableware but resisting functionality, a visual language has been utilised that is purposefully quirky and playful. The illustrations are more concerned with symbolisms, a kind of hieroglyphic, than some grandiose pictorial reproduction.
The narratives surrounding etiquette and expected behaviours are nuanced and these pieces attempt to capture the complexities of these social systems. Visually represented by layers of symbols, images, marks and text. The complexity of the illustrations speak of the complexity of the internal dialogue that permeates our sense of self as a social and cultural construction.