Ebullient Magma

This large-scale vessel by Kate Malone belongs to her recent Magma series, a range of pots decorated with lava-like glazes and geometric forms inspired by crystals.

Malone studied at Bristol Polytechnic and the Royal College of Art before beginning her career as a studio potter. She is well known for her large vessels inspired by the shapes of vegetables and fruit.

Ebullient Magma marks a change in direction for Malone’s work. ‘Magma, with straight lines, angled edges, flat surfaces and the consequent pooling, pulling and dropping of glazes is a new and different drama,’ she has said of this shift.

The piece began as a coil pot, which the artist describes as then being ressed like a fashion model with crystal-like shapes before being biscuit fired and glazed.

Malone is a specialist in glaze mixes and techniques, with some processes resulting in the growth of crystals during firing and cooling. For Ebullient Magma she chose an ‘angel-like’ range of white glazes, with some of them mixed on the piece.

This remarkable pot now joins the Shipley Art Gallery’ renowned collection of contemporary British craft.