Posted on September 27 2017
Vanessa Conyers ceramics tell stories, she has an unrivelled iridescent luxury in the unique aesthetic she has developed. We interview Vanessa to find out more about the personal stories and inspirations behind her creations.
Your ceramics are some of the most luxurious we have seen what inspires this beauty? Colour, nature, Tiffany glass work, textiles, the possibilities and limitations of the material, a desire for sumptuousness in every piece!
What are the techniques you use in your ceramics? Slab building, textile imprinting, slip trailing and painting, monoprint, glazing, application of enamel decals, metallic lustre painting
Your work seems other worldly do all your ceramic pieces have a story to tell? Each collection has its own narrative whether it's one of endless experiments with textiles like in our Parisian Blue range or the scene within each piece in the Secret Garden range- I'm working on a collection of new Secret Garden pieces at the moment, big plates & vases, there is lots more room on them to get lost in and evolve the story which is exciting!
Where are you based and does this inspire your work? I'm based in Dorset in a studio that's in my great Gran's old house and there used to be a lot of her belongings here so I think they inspired my work initially in terms of the size and the colour palette and sense of nostalgia in my paperclay collections.
When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? Make up artist or art teacher
Who inspires you the most? Chanel is my hero!
What hasn't gone as you expected in your career? I never really had a career plan so the fact that I'm still making ceramics is a surprise! I didn't realize how constantly the collections would change, just when you think you have a design nailed then you get a new idea or find a new technique and things evolve again, nothing ever stays the same!
Which famous person would you most like to see play you in a film? Cate Blanchett or Judi Dench, she looks a bit like my Gran!
What's your most important possession? My Grandpa's ring that he wore every day, my dad made it for him a long time ago out of an old coin and it is so light, delicate and softened with wear, the edges are almost sharp where he used to twist it around on his finger all the time, it has the power to evoke lots of memories!
What's your guilty pleasure? Playing my guitar - I'll pick it up meaning to play for 10 minutes and an hour later I'll put it down again, I'm not very good but I love it! Also I eat far too much cake/ puddings/ sugar, my sweet tooth is ginormous!