The contemporary British artist Sue Paraskeva begins her work with clay on a wheel, by way of a flame kiln, this form undergoes a transformational state to become porcelain - a white grained translucent body of white gold.

Paraskeva’s multidisciplinary conceptual practice comprises stand-alone pieces, installation, film and tableware, collectively defined by a distinct language. Underpinned by a rigorous and intuitive approach, iterations of thrown and altered porcelain vessels are created by reduction fired atmospheric changes; through ‘a kiln, which is a well-insulated box, dome or cylinder that saves and contains heat - without a kiln pottery has no heart’.* The intention is to explore material possibilities. Often pieces exist with a duality, a glaze is applied inside the object and left unglazed on the outer shell. A poetic fragility is at play, making reference to our internal and external worlds. By throwing, altering, breaking and re-joining the sculptural form, Paraskeva provides shape to the vulnerability and resilient strength that inhabit us.

In part, the work is an emotional release of experiences, giving voice to the unspoken word, leaving indelible marks on the visceral porcelain vessels. Art works are imbued with an elegiac sensibility expressing sorrow, especially associated to irreparable loss, as well as interpreting political issues from a female perspective.

* Potworks, Billie Luisi, Andre Deutsch, page 33, 1971

Extract from an In conversation with curator Samia Ashraf

b 1971Birmingham, England
EDUCATION
1995BA Hons, 3D Design, Ceramics, Middlesex University, London
1991Art & Design Foundation Course, Middlesex Polytechnic, London
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2014 - 2015Crafts Council, Injection Program for professional development
2000 - 2004Quay Arts Centre, Artist in Residence
2000Cleveland Craft Centre, Artist in Residence
1999Professional Member of the Craft Potters Association
1996Contemporary Applied Arts membership
1996 - PRESENTSELECTED SOLO & GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2020Realising Form, a dialogue between six makers, Make Hauser & Wirth, Somerset
2019Gefäßerweiterung, Galerie Metzger, Germany
2018Circle of Porcelain, Solo Presentation Collect Open, Saatchi Gallery, London
2018The Miami Edit, The New Craftsmen Gallery, London
2018Na So Was, Sue Paraskeva & painter Gila Stolzenfub, Galerie Metzger, Germany
2017Form, Design Miami, Presented by The New Craftsmen Gallery & Crafts Council
2017Every Day Three Women Die At The Hands Of Someone Who Supposedly Loves Them
Collect, Saatchi Gallery with CAA Gallery, London
2016Porcelain and Paper, a collaboration with artist Jo Hummel, CAA Gallery, London
2016Craft Emergency, Installation titled Broken comprising 60 works, Aspex Gallery, Portsmouth
2015Sculpture as Textiles, Bluecoat Display Centre, Liverpool
2015Focus on Sue Paraskeva, installation titled Smashed, CAA Gallery, London
2013Make! Believe! Make! Portsmouth City Museum
2012Porcelain Vessels and Forms, Ruthin Craft Centre, Wales
2012There is Thunder in our Hearts, Aspex Gallery, Portsmouth
2010The Art of Dining, RBSA, Birmingham
2009CUP, Devon Guild of Craftsmen, Devon
2009 Ten, Bilston Craft Gallery, Bilston
2009Sue Paraskeva and painter Tony Foster, Bircham Gallery, Norfolk
2008Throwing Rings, Wall installation, ARC Craft Award, Aspex Gallery, Portsmouth
2008Focus exhibition, Contemporary Applied Arts, London 2007
2008White Ware, Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh
2008Acquire, Aspex Gallery, Portsmouth
2008Rarefinder, New Ashgate Gallery, Farnham
2008White for Weddings, CAA Gallery, London
2004Sue Paraskeva, Michael West Gallery, Quay Arts Centre, Isle of Wight
2003CAA Gallery, London
2002Sue Paraskeva and painter Shona Elrick, Heifer Gallery, London
2002Feast, Touring Show, Southern Arts Region
2002Coupes et Bols, Carlin Gallery, Paris
2001Work in Progress, Solo Exhibition, Cleveland Craft Centre, Middlesbrough
2001Thirteen Hands, Touring Show, West Highland Museum
2001Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Wakefield
1999Contemporary Ceramics Auction, Phillips Auctioneers, London
199940th Anniversary Show, Bluecoat Display Centre, Liverpool
1999Summer Show, Beaux Arts, Bath
1999Invitation to exhibit at The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh
1998Summer Show, The Medici Gallery, London
1998Contemporary Ceramic Auction, Bonhams,
1998London Interior, group show curated by The British Embassy, Paris
1998Decorative Arts Today, Bonhams, London
1998All Fired Up, Camden Arts Centre, London
1998International Ceramics Fair with Adrian Sassoon, Park Lane Hotel, London
1997Design Resolutions ‘97, Royal Festival Hall, London
1997Talente ‘97, Craft Council Selection, Munich
1996Contemporary Ceramics 2, Victoria and Albert Museum, London
1996Decorative Arts Today 1996, Bonhams, London
PUBLIC ART | PERFORMANCES
2020#throw for the NHS, 60 Porcelain bowls to support the Covid 19 fundraiser
2017Smashing Performance, Grow, Depozitory, Isle of Wight
2017Smashing Performance at Collect, CAA Gallery, The Saatchi Gallery, London
2016Smashing Performance, London Craft Week, CAA Gallery, London
2015Performance & Presentation, London Craft Week, at CAA Gallery, London
2015Four large scale wall Pieces, The Beach 2 works 2m x 1m each, Blood Cells 2 works
1m x 0.75m each, Ryde, Community Clinic, NHS England, Isle of Wight
2015Art in Clay, Smashing Performance,Hatfield House, Hertfordshire
2015Belief, Smashing Performance, Depozitory, Isle of Wight
2010International Ceramic Symposium, Performance & workshops, with Corman Arts,Tel Hai, Israel
2008Commission by Aspex Gallery, Christmas Tree installation comprising 100 porcelain discs
suspended to create sound and movement, Portsmouth
2004Arts Council Commission, Sunburst, formed of 90 porcelain panels on Quay Arts Terrace Wall, Isle of Wight
SELECTED ART FAIRS
2008 - 2017Ceramic Art London, Royal College of Art, London
2011 - 2014Oxford Ceramic Fair, CPA selected, Oxford
2007 - 2017Ceramics in the City, Geffrye Museum, London
2006Origin, presented by the Crafts Council, Somerset House, London
2002 - 2015Art in Clay, Hatfield House, Hertfordshire
1999 - 2003Art, Adrian Sassoon Gallery, London
1997 - 1998Chelsea Crafts Fair, London
CLIENTS | COLLECTIONS
2020EE Home, New York
2017 - PresentMarch, San Francisco
2013 - PresentHerriott Grace, Canada
2012 - 2017Calvin Klein Collection, Madison Avenue, New York
2012 - 2014Design Museum
2014 - 2019Tom Kerridge at The Hand and Flowers
2014 - 2015Toast
2014Turner Contemporary
1997Kevin Costner, 94 Piece Tableware Service
TEACHING
2017Teaching workshops in response to the Richard Long exhibition at Quay Arts Centre, Isle of Wight. To plan, implement, and assess each students ability to establish workshops accordingly. Curating selected works to exhibit.
2001 - 2013Quay Arts Centre, Isle of Wight, teaching a diverse group of ranging abilities and ages.– weekly courses over a ten year period, porcelain summer schools and Raku courses.
2000Cleveland Craft Centre, Teaching clay workshops across all abilities
1996 - 1997Camden Arts Centre, Ceramic Technician
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS | REVIEWS | AWARDS
2016Venus Small Business Woman of the Year IOW
2007Arc Craft Award
Ceramics Collection, Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art
Permanent Collection, Pallant House Gallery
Permanent Collection, Southern Arts Craft Collection
Permanent Collection, Swindon Museum and Art Gallery
Elle Decoration, Kinfolk, The Telegraph, Wall Street Journal, The Sunday Times, The Guardian,
The Financial Times, Ceramic Review, Bon Appetit, Selected,
The Complete Practical Potter, by Josie Warshaw, Lorenz Books, 1999