Guildhall 2025, Ceramics

The Suffolk Craft Society’s Winter Exhibition at the Guildhall in Bury St Edmunds will feature a wonderful array of ceramics from some of the region’s most talented makers. From functional earthenware to delicate porcelain, there is something to delight every visitor. 

 

Among the exhibitors, Susie Bruce pushes the expressive possibilities of porcelain with hand-built vessels that balance elegance and tension, while Sarah Cannell translates the colours and rhythms of the Waveney Valley into painterly ceramic forms. John Chipperfield, a founding member of the Society, brings sculptural energy to his dynamic, asymmetrical vessels, and Marie Coomber’s wheel-thrown stoneware celebrates the beauty of everyday rituals. 

 

Cathy D’Arcy infuses her hand-built pieces with the vibrant patterns of her East African childhood, and Moira Goodall captures the soft tonal beauty of the Suffolk coast through smoke-firing. Anne-Marie Jacobs takes inspiration from the Essex salt marshes, creating slip-cast earthenware that reflects both their strength and fragility, while Claire Pirie’s calm porcelain forms reveal the quiet purity of unglazed clay. 

 

Other highlights include Simon Sharp’s calligraphic ceramics blending Eastern and Western influences, Neville Tatham’s traditional English slipware, and Patt Todd’s painterly porcelain bowls inspired by the Suffolk coast. Janene Waudby’s smoke-fired vessels and Mary Wyatt’s sculptural raku forms complete this inspiring display of craftsmanship, creativity, and connection to the landscape. 

 

Visit the Guildhall this winter to experience this diverse and beautiful collection — and perhaps find the perfect piece to take home. More information available here >>