Lydia Hardwick

We are delighted to be introducing Lydia Hardwick to our collection of Makers. Lydia completed an MA in ceramics at the Royal College of Art in 2013. Based in her studio in Essex, Lydia’s work champions the ethics of a local and independent business, whilst promoting the history and craft of traditional pot making techniques. 

 

Her work is primarily made with clay, notably terracotta and stoneware. It is entirely hand built; the pots are made using a hand-coiled technique, whereas the plates are rolled and cut by hand. Lydia decorates each piece using a selection of either monochromatic or coloured slips. 

 

The work is very tactile. Confident and intuitive layers of slip and inlays showcase Lydia's familiarity with the material, and meditative approach to making. Drawing inspiration from ancient European craft objects and textile, she references their traditional patterns and motifs, and reimagines them through experimentation with lines, surface, tone and texture.  

 

Lydia’s work has achieved great acclaim. Her collaboration with architecture collective Assemble and their 2015 project, Granby Workshop, was Turner Prize winning. In 2016 her work was bought by the Victoria and Albert Museum and is displayed in their permanent collection. As well as making ceramics, Lydia also teaches and has undertaken artist educational projects at institutions such as Whitechapel, Royal Academy of Arts, Camden Arts Centre and Turner Contemporary.