About Pottery: natures press plates

Thursday 13 March 2025

10.30am - 12.30pm or 1.30pm - 3.30pm

Join our resident potter, Bahareh Khomeiry, for a unique pottery workshop at Watts Gallery, inspired by the current exhibition, Flower Fairies: The Magical World of Cicely Mary Barker. Drawing from Cicely Mary Barker’s enchanting botanical illustrations, you’ll create beautiful pressed clay plates, working directly with flowers and plants to imprint delicate textures and patterns into the surface of the clay.

Learn essential ceramic techniques in a relaxed and creative setting—no previous experience is required.

Discover the magic of clay and nature, bringing botanical artistry to life through ceramics.

About Bahareh Khomeiry

With a background in architecture, Bahareh Khomeiry’s journey in ceramics began out of fascination with the rich history of traditional tile-making in her home country, Iran. Her curiosity about how these tiles were made led her to pursue another BA in Ceramics, and since 2017, she has been a dedicated potter and tile artist.

Now based in the UK, Bahareh furthered her artistic ceramics practice by completing an MA in Ceramics at the University for the Creative Arts (UCA). Her work blends traditional craftsmanship with contemporary techniques, offering a diverse approach to creating ceramics.

Bahareh explores the act of constructing and assembling elements, seeking balance in the process. Inspired by the way Persian domes are built—layer by layer, with each brick playing a vital role—she applies this method to ceramics. By combining hand-building and throwing techniques, she creates forms that are both structured and fluid.

Her recent series, Hair as Freedom: Cut Plaits, is a tribute to the "Women, Life, Freedom" movement that emerged in Iran in 2022. Witnessing the courage of Iranian women who removed their headscarves and cut their hair (plaits) in defiance of oppression deeply impacted her. This series captures their journey, from entrapment to liberation, and ultimately to unity. Cut Plaits represents these brave women fighting for their rights.