Peter Beard: A UK-based ceramic sculptor

Today's podcast introduces Peter Beard. Peter first discovered clay as a kid, and that early fascination never really left him. While studying industrial and furniture design at Ravensbourne College of Art in London, he found himself spending more and more time in the ceramics department. After graduating, he helped set up a pottery in Scotland making domestic stoneware, and not long after, opened his own studio in Kent where sculpture became his main focus.These days, Peter works from his studio in Leamington Spa, creating stoneware pieces that are both thrown and hand-built. He fires in oxidation to around 1280°C, building up layers of coloured clays and matte glazes, using wax resist and surface grinding to reveal these intricate, textured patterns underneath.He’s also worked in bronze and stone, and has been exhibiting his work since the mid-70s, both in Britain and internationally. What I love most about Peter’s approach is how design precision meets quiet emotion. Each piece feels carefully considered but deeply human.You can find his work on his website at https://peterbeard.co.uk/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/peterbeardceramics/