Ailsa Cowan

Ceramics is one of the oldest art forms and the whole process is very easy to fall in love with; whether it’s making or collecting.

Ailsa has been working with ceramics on and off for more than 35 years, beginning at school and art school before working for several years with a Glasgow potter. After emigrating to Nelson with her husband in 2005, she joined Nelson Community Potters and re-discovered her love of clay.

Originally from the Isle of Arran, Scotland, Ailsa grew up surrounded by mountains, sea and the remnants of an ancient landscape. Memories of crofts, standing stones and burial mounds mingle with her experiences tramping through the New Zealand landscape, and these connections often find their way into her ceramics.

Her work explores layers of glaze, colour and texture, pushing and stretching the clay until forms emerge intuitively. Increasingly, animals are appearing in the work.

“I hope my ceramics make people smile, look again, try and figure out how it’s been made — and simply enjoy it.”