Art / News
Maker of the month: Hannah Turner
Wiltshire-grown maker and illustrator Hannah Turner studied ceramics at UWE and now lives in north Bristol just a stone’s throw from Gloucester Road.
The hands-on ceramicist has teamed up with Bristol24/7 with a special offer on a range of her bestsellers including her flamingo egg cup, cute-as-a-button toadstool salt and pepper shakes, kooky cat money box, and retro-style sunflower tea towel.
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is needed now More than ever
Click here to buy this month’s artwork
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Hannah began her career sculpting small ceramic animals and she still predominantly takes inspiration from nature: “I grew up in the countryside, surrounded by animals and birds, and this has inspired me.’ Alongside the natural world, she’s also influenced by retro designs, in particular “50s and 60s design, illustrations and vintage homeware”.
She can easily pinpoint the pinnacle of her career so far: “Getting an order from Liberty. I nearly fell out of my chair.”
Unlike many creatives, the path after graduation was relatively bump-free. “After a sell-out degree show, I set up my studio, and have making ceramics ever since, with a career break to have my to children from 1991-2003,” she recalls.
Motherhood brought with it a big creative change, designed to give her more independence. “Now I slipcast everything, which means that, should I choose to, I can hand over aspects of the production to focus on designing new products and the artwork that creates the 2D decoration on all of my designs.”
The majority of her products are most at home in the kitchen, but she’s hoping to expand, applying her designs to a range of items from wallpaper to curtains, “so that the ‘Hannah Turner’ look can be added to other areas of the house.”
Having lived and studied in Bristol, Hannah embraces the city’s creative spirit. “I think there’s a real buzz,” she says; “it is very nurturing to creative people.”
Bristol24/7 is proud to support creativity and philanthropy. 10 per cent of the profits from the sale of each of these items will be donated to Hannah’s chosen charity, the Penny Brohn Cancer care centre, after her sister was diagnosed with cancer last year: “it’s local, progressive and very worthy”.
The works
Toadstool salt & pepper set, £15.99
For more information, visit www.hannahturner.co.uk