St Ives' potter Sarah Dunstan has achieved international acclaim for her unique, slab built work and in 2012 was elected Fellow of the Craft Potters Association in recognition of her contribution to contemporary ceramics. On completing a degree in ceramics at Cardiff, Sarah returned to her native Cornwall to establish her first pottery in 1993 and has been a professional potter ever since. In 2002 she moved to the Gaolyard Studios, founded by Leach potter John Bedding to offer established potters individual studio spaces within a vibrant creative hub. Here she produces her distinctive, highly decorative ceramics, instantly recognisable for their rich velvety colours and intricate, hand cut porcelain overlays.
"In my work I explore ideas around the half-forgotten memories and images that persist from childhood - perhaps a vintage wallpaper, the stylised narrative of my Mother's Willow Pattern plates, or the familiar shape of an opened sardine tin. My aim is to bring these elements together in a finished piece to combine a gentle nostalgia with the absolute, archival permanence of the ceramic medium."