insideSUSSEX Magazine Issue 21 - November 2016 | Page 14
ARTS+ENTERTAINMENT
ARTIST PROFILE:
ROWENA GILBERT
Rowena Gilbert has been immersed in art her entire life; a passion that has led her to
become a highly skilled and impressive artist in her own right. We spoke to her about what
she does, the inspiration behind her work, and what she’s planning next.
How would you describe your art?
I create handmade contemporary ceramics. My main focus is finding
that perfect fusion of strong design, innovative style and spontaneous
expression; that counterpoint of form, design, colour and texture.
What is your favourite piece?
I don't have an absolute favourite, but definitely my latest work, Coast
Series part #1 and Coast Series part #2, are my favourite collections so far.
What is the inspiration behind your current exhibition?
My ceramic work is a celebration of the natural world informed by my
travels and my coastal hometown of Brighton, where the colours of the
beaches and the flora and fauna of the nearby South Downs provide a
source of inspiration. Moods and personal experiences also influence my
work in more subconscious ways. After recent travels in Southeast Asia,
the beaches of the Thai coast provided fresh inspiration for pieces that
have taken my work in a new direction. Following the trip, experiments
with new colour palettes led to an unintentional spread of hundreds of
turquoise blue swatches, spread out in my studio like an ocean of tiny tiles.
My latest series has become more impressionistic and abstract than
previous work and each piece is a one-off design capturing its own tone.
Different surface textures such as mattes and gloss give my work an extra
depth, and my colour palette this year is awash with yellow, turquoise and
aquamarine.
What is your background?
I've always loved art ever since I was young. My father, Terence Gilbert, is
a very established fine artist and has inspired me immensely. His studio is
in the family home, so I grew up watching him paint. He always made me
feel so proud of my own drawings; pinning them up in his studio. I believe
it was my portfolio of felt-tip pictures aged 10 that helped me gain a place
at Christ's Hospital School, Horsham.
My latest collection, Coast Series, is a response to the skylines and
shores of these tropical islands, capturing the constantly changing hues
and movements of these spaces with accents of waves splashing against
rocks and birds in flight.
My art teacher at that school was a huge collector of contemporary fine
art ceramics and to be taught by someone so passionate about ceramics
was a massive influence on me (without me realising it then). I absolutely
loved ceramics at school, but just as much as everything else; the whole
spectrum of art, design, craft (and maths!).
What has been your proudest artistic achievement to date?
My highlight is the ceramic work I am producing now. I feel I have
established myself as a very technical maker and yet am freeing myself to
be much more intuitive and artistic; I guess this is the start of me feeling
like a true ceramic artist.
I moved to Brighton in 1998 to study an art foundation course, then on to
a BA honours degree in three-dimensional crafts specialising in ceramics.
The year I graduated, I won the ‘Best Up and Coming Local Artist Award,
Brighton & Hove’ and set up in a studio with the help of The Prince’s
Trust. I've been there ever since, working in ceramics for leading galleries
both nationally and internationally.
Where can we see your work?
I will be launching Coast Series #2 exclusively at Cameron Contemporary
Art, Second Avenue, Hove, for their Winter Exhibition starting on November
12th. Coast Series #1 can be viewed online at www.rowenagilbert.com.
07900 678707
[email protected]
www.rowenagilbert.com
What is the most difficult piece you’ve ever undertaken?
To be honest they are all difficult; I'm constantly negotiating the
temperature and humidity of the air to prevent my clay layers cracking.
The way I work with layer upon layer of coloured clay is the most
frustrating and difficult process to perfect, and constantly goes wrong, yet
I love the effect when it goes right, so my struggle continues...
www.craftscouncil.org.uk/directory/maker/rowena-gilbert
@RGilbertCeramic
/rowenagilbert.ceramics
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