cambridge contemporary art

Helen Beard

Helen fell in love with clay whilst she was at the Edinburgh College of Art. It was the immediacy of the clay, its ability to move and react to your every touch.

In 2003, Helen completed an apprenticeship with the celebrated potter and writer Edmund de Waal in London. Helen set up her own studio in London in 2004, located in Islington. She has also collaborated with Jo Malone London, the National Gallery, London, Fortnum and Mason and Dovecot studios, Edinburgh.

“I work as a potter and illustrator. I have always loved drawing, using watercolour and ink. It was a very natural progression for the illustrations to feed in to my ceramics. I am a people watcher at heart. I love my local area and find it inspires much of my work here. There are all sorts of characters who crop up again and again on my pots, from swimmers at the Ponds to market traders at Columbia Road.”

“I like to come up with new ideas for each of my shows, varying the themes around different places that have struck a chord in me. By grouping the pots together, I tell a story - creating whimsical scenes that capture the insignificant yet precious moments that make up our daily lives.”

-Helen Beard

Don’t hesitate to email us on info@cambridgegallery.co.uk or call us on 01223 324222 if you have any questions about specific pieces.