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At the heart of the Network lies Watts Gallery, home to Mary Watts and her pioneering work in decorative arts. Mary’s legacy in ceramics is famously embodied in the Watts Chapel, a community project uniting local villagers to create a stunning fusion of Art Nouveau design and Celtic symbolism.
Charleston House, the rural retreat of the Bloomsbury Group, houses an extraordinary example of ceramics: The Famous Women Dinner Service. Created by Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant in 1932, this hand-painted set of 50 plates honours influential women throughout history.
The group’s engagement with ceramics found expression not only at Charleston but also through their collaboration with the Omega Workshops, an innovative design enterprise founded by Roger Fry in 1913. At Omega, ceramics were elevated from functional objects to bold artistic statements. The collective produced hand-painted plates, vases, and tiles that reflected the group’s modernist ethos and love for vibrant, experimental design.
Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant, Famous Women Dinner Service © Charleston Trust
In St Ives, Cornwall, the Leach Pottery stands as a beacon of studio pottery. Founded by Bernard Leach, often regarded as the father of British studio ceramics, the pottery combines Japanese and British traditions.
Visitors can witness the original workspace, with its Japanese climbing kiln and historic clay room, and experience the enduring influence of Leach’s philosophy of simplicity and craftsmanship.
In Spain, ceramics formed a vital part of Joan Miró’s artistic practice. At Fundació Mas Miró in Mont-roig del Camp, visitors are able to explore the artist’s rural studio and the landscapes that inspired his innovative forms and vibrant ceramic works. Miró’s ceramics reflect his fascination with texture, colour, and the expressive possibilities of clay, bridging fine art and craft.
In South Africa, the Irma Stern Museum celebrates the life and work of the pioneering artist who embraced ceramics as part of her wide-ranging practice.
Stern’s bold, expressive approach to art extended to clay, where her experiments with form and glaze mirrored her paintings’ vivid energy. The museum preserves her studio, offering a glimpse into her process and the integration of ceramics within her artistic vision.
From Mary Watts’ visionary community projects to Bernard Leach’s mastery of form, and from Vanessa Bell’s painted plates to Joan Miró’s bold experiments, ceramics across the ASMN tell stories of creativity, connection, and innovation. Celebrate Mary Watts’ legacy by exploring the rich ceramic traditions preserved in these extraordinary museums.
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