Emily Lawlor

Emily Lawlor is a professional designer maker, fascinated by wings, feathers and flight - making mosaics constructed from reclaimed china with a touch of fairytale.

Q&A

Artist Statement

I was brought up in the Cotswolds with Irish parents, my childhood steeped in fairytales, poetry and a sense of magic and with a wonder for the natural world. In my work, I am inspired by birds – fascinated by wings, feathers and flight. I am beguiled everyday by the garden birds I can observe from my studio window. The glimpse of a muted tailfeather or a striking breast, the whirr of a wing flying past. My birds and wings are made from reclaimed ceramics – each piece of china for a wing or a tailfeather, carefully selected for its pattern, texture and colour. The shades of the Cobalt blue of Spode Italian Gardenware jostle next to the deeper tints of Alfred Meakin or Royal Worcester in the wing feathers to create a rich visual experience, building up a repetition of pattern to evoke the flight and movement of the bird. The china that I work work is often cracked or chipped and at the end of its functional life.

What craft do you work with?

I did a degree in Public Art and Design at Chelsea School of Art. We were trained to design and make site specific work – art for architecture. I specialised with ceramic and mosaic. I love working with reclaimed china – the resonance and history of the pieces alongside the patterns and colours and traditions of the Stoke potteries.

What inspires you to work with this craft?

As I work with vintage china from the classic British factories I allow my imagination to wander into the dust and heat of Staffordshire, coalport and explore the processes that made them, but also thinking about where tea might have been served, by whom and to whom. I started by study as an archaeologist and I love the idea of unearthing beauty from the past, so I choose broken sherds wherever I can to upcycle their beauty into new designs, which inspires me on a daily basis. Each mosaic is inspired by the motifs, surface patterns and ornament of the reclaimed china that I work with – each fragment of china has its’ own story some literally over hundreds of years. A wing might be inspired by the classic components of a weeping willow or a colbalt pagoda-like structure will give intricate detail and texture to tail feathers.

How do you start your creative process?

My starting point for the birds and wings is an fashioned paper sketchbook and work with mixed media collage. I love the fluidity of working with collage – choosing textures and colours from magazines, maps or old letters and the freedom of being able to both roughly tear up the paper as well as using the precision of scissors. Most of my bird designs start life as a collage. I love choosing the china that I am going to work with – a pagoda in the willow pattern might make a beautiful tail feather or a Royal Albert pansy will make the belly of a Bluetit. This is my favourite bit -translating the patterns into the forms of the birds. The most difficult part is the grouting – always messy and tense until you get to the ‘safe part’ of the process.

How would you best describe your workspace and what tools could you not do without?

I have a wooden studio in the garden – my sanctuary. Stacked form wall to ceiling with vintage china – a riot of colours and patterns – many boxes of broken pieces. I have Victorian taxidermied bires – a pheasant, a bluetit, a swallow… to inspire me. The tools I could not do without – mosaic clippers, safety goggles – a hammer and chisel for when pieces need prising off!!

Are there new techniques you would like to try?

I would love to try out Kitsugi – the Japanese art of mending broken china with gold.

What have you learnt or the best advice you have received that you would like to share with fellow crafters?

I love sharing ideas and techniques – the best advice is to embrace failures and disasters – especially when working with clay and using the kiln. You don’t learn anything when things don’t go according to plan. I collaborate with another artist who works in metal and textiles/weaving. I would love to collaborate with a blacksmith or metal sculptor. My professional dream would be to make a permanent installation for a Cathedral.