Shaun Hall graduated from Middlesex University in 1998, and initially exhibited at Art in Clay, Hatfield house, and the Craft Potter Association shop in London. His influences are from architectural and sculptural from, and this has permeated through his ideas since University. This interest in form and shape lends itself to the “slab building” process. Coupled with this interest in the basic vessel form and the idea of inner and outer space or volume, a lot of his initial ideas were very much inspired by still life paintings and abstracts long the lines of artists like William Scott and Braque. Consequently a lot of Shaun’s pots have an illusionary or flattened sense of volume making them somewhat quirky.

Working in Earthstone Handbuilding Clay, which is fairly shock resistant, the pots are then Raku fired at 1000 degrees C. Using two basic raku techniques, involving glazing and copper slip, the iridescent surface is obtained by a fuming slip which is based on a variation of John Wheeldon’s. The work is fumed on a bed of sawdust and smoked under metal bins, and oxygen is let in by lifting the smoking bin at appropriate intervals to allow the copper to gain some iridescence. It is an elusive technique to master, but the results are worth the risks involved and are often spectacular.