Matt Horne
Matt Horne’s passion for pottery started from an art lesson in the first year of his GCSE’s at the age of 15. After studying at Astor College for the Arts, in Dover, he sought an apprenticeship at an established pottery to continue his training.
During those 2 years, he learnt lots of different techniques including production throwing using stoneware clay, turning, glazing and different firings. In 2008 he made the decision to set up his own ceramics studio near his home in Capel-Le-Ferne, Folkestone.
He has been concentrating on crystalline techniques since 2009. Crystalline glazing is time consuming and expensive to produce. All his pots are hand thrown in porcelain, one of the more difficult clays to throw, especially large pots. Crystalline glaze is mixed using a variety of ingredients, some measured in minute amounts. It is applied thickly, up to 4mm to encourage the glaze to run. The pot is then placed on a pedestal and stands in a dish, to catch the run-off during the firing.
When the kiln reaches the maximum temperature (up to 1300c). It is then rapidly cooled to a specific holding temperature. This is the time when the crystals form in the glaze. The amount of time held at this temperature contributes to the size of the crystals, which occur randomly, making each pot unique.
Matt is acknowledged as being one of the finest decorators using this glaze process and his use of different colour combinations and pot shapes continually surprises.
