Artist Statement - Annie Watts

I recently completed my BA (Hons) in Fine Art at Northbrook College—a challenging but exciting period of growth that reshaped my creative direction. My earlier practice was rooted in painting and drawing, with occasional exploration of clay as a creative outlet. Through sustained experimentation, I discovered that working with clay offered a more instinctive and embodied way of making, and it has since become my primary medium.

My current work explores the visceral and sensory potential of clay through hand-built ceramic forms that move beyond traditional vessels. These pieces are tactile, expressive, and gestural—bearing the physical traces of their making. The marks, impressions, and irregularities are left intentionally, allowing the process itself to remain visible as part of the finished form. There is an ongoing conversation between the immediacy of mark-making and the grounded, physical presence of clay.

These works are not created solely to be seen, but to be felt. They invite touch, offer subtle sounds, and create a quiet space for personal engagement. Many of the forms appear to welcome being held—inviting the viewer into an intimate relationship that goes beyond passive observation.

Underlying this is a deep interest in community, care, and shared memory. I see clay as a material that holds presence and responds to touch—making it an ideal medium through which to explore themes of belonging, legacy, and human connection. Through these forms, I aim to create encounters that feel alive, open, and quietly resonant.

May 2025