Chris Lewis
Chris Lewis is one of the foremost throwers of pots working in England today. Chris built his latest anagama style kiln – large enough to take a small car – in 2000. He has developed a unique method of woodfiring to maximise the effects from wood ash and embers. Over a period of 72 hours constant vigilance and supervision, he has been able to achieve a rich palette of glazes on his work. Depending on the temperature of the kiln, these range from cool yellows to warm reds, and even purples and grey. His monumental pots can be 3 feet high.
Chris has been very influenced by his wide travelling in West Africa, India and South America, and has adapted surface decoration from some of these places into his own distinctive vernacular. His pots are frequently decorated with incised geometrical patterns, and subtly coloured with porcelain and other slips.
Chris learned his skills hands on as an apprentice first at Farnham Potteries then working with Ursula Mommens. He has exhibited widely and appears in countless garden shows. He has undertaken prestigious commissions, including large Pots for British Airways Offices, Heathrow Airport. He is also famous for his domestic pottery which was used in the landmark London food shops "Cranks" for several years.
