‘Throughout her career, Alison Britton has remained committed to the ceramic container, exploring both its formal possibilities and its capacity to hold and communicate thoughts and ideas. Her pots are marked by ambiguity and contradiction, sitting between the sculptural and the everyday, the civilised and the wild, the real and the imagined. A work may seem to be both the representation of a pot as well as an actual one – a pot observed through the artist’s eye, informed by the experience of modern painting.’
– Alun Graves, curator, V@A Museum, London
‘Throughout her career, Alison Britton has remained committed to the ceramic container, exploring both its formal possibilities and its capacity to hold and communicate thoughts and ideas. Her pots are marked by ambiguity and contradiction, sitting between the sculptural and the everyday, the civilised and the wild, the real and the imagined. A work may seem to be both the representation of a pot as well as an actual one – a pot observed through the artist’s eye, informed by the experience of modern painting.’
– Alun Graves, curator, V@A Museum, London
Alison Britton is a leading figure in postmodern ceramics, celebrated for her innovative approach to form and surface. Emerging from the Royal College of Art, London, in the 1970s, she was part of a groundbreaking group of artists who redefined contemporary ceramics. Their radical experimentation challenged traditional notions of pottery, shaping an influential movement known as The New Ceramics.
Throughout her career, Britton has focused on the art of hand-built ceramics, crafting distinctive pots from rolled slabs of clay. Her surfaces are rich with expressive markings inspired by modern painting, achieved through dynamic techniques such as pouring and painting slip, followed by glazing.
Her work defies categorization, embracing bold forms, textured surfaces, and an intentional sense of awkwardness. Each piece exudes confidence and presence, reflecting the mastery of an artist deeply connected to her materials.
Beyond her contributions as a ceramicist, Britton has had a profound impact on ceramic education. She spent over 30 years teaching MA and research students at the Royal College of Art, London, serving as Senior Tutor for Ceramics and Glass.
Britton’s work is featured in over 60 public collections and important private collections worldwide, including:
In recognition of her contributions to the arts, she was awarded an OBE (Order of the British Empire) in 1990.
Alison Britton lives and works in London, United Kingdom
Taste Contemporary
Monique Deul Consultancy
Rue du Vieux-Billard 7
1205 Genève
Switzerland
