Paul designs and makes ceramics both sculptural and functional. The first and most important element for Paul is the material, its colour, textural qualities and often with the addition of local found materials.
Growing up and living in Northern Ireland influenced his work greatly, using simple materials, found in nature and in industry like Pebble’s, worn bricks or trees as a starting point. Each one, symbolic of a different time or emotion in his life. Through the exploration of these materials, Paul is trying to show a sense of growth, embellished evidence of a story of what conditions they have survived. The weathered state of these materials wood, pebble or brick show great resilience and character.
In his use of clay as a material, Paul has always been driven to create unique forms and textures, earlier in his career expressing himself through figurative hand-built sculpture and in recent years, a pursuit of combining his two passions ceramics and food and presenting these together in collections of tableware.
The development of these aspects in his life and work have resulted in creating a unique style of making on the wheel. Throwing with a mixture of clays, including the addition of foraged local materials and bold marking throughout.
These techniques combined with a controlled level of uncertainty in firing process result in unique work that he feel’s has integrity, for Paul they tell a story of where they came from, how they have become and give a suggestion of resilience.
