Kate Cornelius (b. 1967, Malton, Yorkshire) lives and works in Bristol. She has always had a passion for vessels and natural materials and discovered the medium of clay ten years ago.

Her influences go back to periods in her life when she worked with vernacular earth architecture and textiles. She was also influenced by the time she spent in Mali in West Africa, where she was imbued with aesthetic themes and approaches that are reflected in her work today: brevity, simplicity, necessity, beauty and spatial awareness.

Rather than unwavering perfection, Kate values the elegance of nature’s irregularity, the grain and patina of imperfection. The techniques that feature most prominently in Kate’s work are Mishima and Neriage methods of staining, layering and carving to create pattern.

Her work explores the way in which objects and structures, small or large, fit into their surroundings. The aim is to create pieces that are organic but defined, with shapes that are contained but not restrictive, and proportions that are harmonious.

Her work also accentuates opposites and contrasts, how the imperfect can be the route to deeper perfection and how each of us strive for our own idea of beauty.