DEINIOL WILLIAMS - STONEWARE

Deiniol Williams

Deiniol was born and raised in Mid-Wales. He studied 3D Design at Manchester Metropolitan University where he specialised in ceramics. After graduating he established a workshop on the family farm in Devil's Bridge, near Aberystwyth. In 2009 he relocated his practice to Glossop in Derbyshire with the aim of setting up a new studio and kiln.

He believes imperfections such as uneven glazes, or foreign substances in the clay can communicate a certain beauty. In his search for a way to develop these uncertain features, Deiniol decided to fire his kiln with wood. The wood kiln has a way of transforming the clay and glaze surface depending on where the pots are placed in the kiln, the length of firing, and also the type of wood used. Due to the large amounts of wood used, fly-ash drifts through the kiln and lands on the various surfaces creating an additional layer of glaze and altering the clay's colour and texture. 

“I work with wood-fired stoneware, and I am influenced by the environments of my surroundings. Locally sourced stones and minerals are sometimes mixed into the clay, and wood-ash is used to create the unique glazes”.