Edgelands
Tuesday 18 March – Sunday 4 May 2025
County Hall Pottery proudly presents Edgelands, an exhibition exploring the in-between spaces where urban and rural blur, where nature and industry coexist in overlooked yet vibrant landscapes.
Inspired by Edgelands (2011) by poets Paul Farley and Michael Symmons Roberts, this exhibition brings together sculptural ceramic works that reflect the liminal, often disregarded spaces at the fringes of our built environment. These are places of quiet resilience and transformation—where remnants of past industries meet pockets of wildness, and where change is constant yet unnoticed.
Through material, form, and process, the artists in Edgelands investigate themes of transition, memory, and reclamation. The works on display echo the poetic and elusive qualities of these spaces—hard to define yet instantly recognizable, rich with texture, history, and narrative.
haptic/tacit is an artist-led collective dedicated to showcasing ambitious contemporary craft. With a shared foundation in ceramics, the collective explores themes of space and place, inviting new artists and makers to contribute to each exhibition. Through collaborative approaches and engaged partnerships, Edgelands offers a fresh perspective on the unseen landscapes that shape our surroundings.
Exhibition Events
Launch Party
Monday 17 March 2025
6pm–9pm
All are welcome to join us for the Edgelands launch party. Grab a drink and experience the artwork.
Book your spot here.
Exhibition Dinner
Thursday 20 March 2025
6pm–10pm
Enjoy a private guided tour of the exhibition, before sitting down to a special three-course meal in County Hall.
View event details here.
Masterclass
Saturday 12 April
10.30am–4.30pm
A practical workshop in all aspects of using locally-found clay, lead by artists Jane Cairns and Kim Norton.
Find out more here.
Artist Talk
Saturday 26th April
1pm–3.30pm
An afternoon of discussion with Nancy Campbell and Emma Edmondson, facilitated by Sarah Christie.
Book your spot here.
Artists
Ella Porter
Ella Porter is a London based multidisciplinary artist specialising in ceramics and printmaking. She trained for a BA in painting and printmaking from Glasgow school of Art, 2014, and later an MA in ceramics at the RCA, 2021, which was supported by The Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust.
Jane Cairns
Jane Cairns is a London based ceramicist. Coming to ceramics as a second career, she graduated from University of Westminster (Harrow) in 2011. A selected member of the Craft Potter’s Association and a founder member of haptic/tacit her studio is on the banks of the Thames.
Hilary Bird Mayo
Hilary Bird-Mayo is a London based clay artist. Known for hand-built stoneware vessels with a focus on surface decoration, she has recently been exploring new approaches to making and materials. While themes of place, geology, fragility and resilience remain a constant.
Grant Aston
Grant Aston graduated from the ceramics and glass MA at London’s Royal College of Art in 2005. His work typically draws from themes such as biology and architecture. His latest works are constructed from clay, wood and metal and seek to balance functional structure with aesthetic composition.
Kim Norton
Kim Norton studied ceramics at Surrey Institute of Art and Design, followed by an MA in Ceramics at Central Saint Martins. She has recently completed a residency at Stuart Road Allotments between April – Sept 2024.
Kim has shown nationally and internationally including the British Ceramics Biennial, The Trade Show curated by Faye Toogood, and led a studio session at A-B Projects (USA) in 2023 titled Spiral Practice.
Rebecca Appleby
Rebecca Appleby observes the remnants of demolition sites – landscapes where buildings once stood. Her focus lies in the life cycle of materials, once organic, now shaped for functional use in architecture. These structures, vessels for human life and activity, are not permanent. When they reach the end of their lifespan, they are dismantled, reduced to fragments still infused with memories, history, and spirit. Some of these fragments find new life, repurposed in future projects.