Derek Wilson
Derek Wilson’s practice as a ceramicist centres on the making of a diverse range of contemporary objects from functional to sculptural. His ideas spring from a complex blending of familiar to abstract, evident in both his functional ware and sculpture work. The colour, shape and materiality of his objects reference ideas of restraint, containment and minimalism. His search for simplicity of form draws inspiration from a diverse range of sources from mid-century British Constructivism to the history of the ceramic industry in Europe and Asia. Working in celadon glazed porcelain and stoneware, his objects, whether usable or not, tend to be placed in groupings, which evoke communality and sociability. Wilson aims to push the boundaries of a traditional and diverse artform through playing with its aesthetics, materiality and processes.
Wilson graduated with a distinction from the Ceramics Design & Skills Course, Crafts Council of Ireland in 2002. In 2007, he received an MA in Applied Arts, Ceramics from the University of Ulster, Belfast.
Collections
University of Ulster, Belfast
Arts Council of Northern Ireland
Selected Awards
2007 | Craft NI, Making It Programme |
2007 | Crafts Council of Ireland 3rd Level Postgraduate Award |
2006 | Richard K Degenhardt – Belleek Collectors Scholarship |
Selected Exhibitions
Group Exhibitions and Fairs
2013 | Future Beauty?, National Craft Gallery, Kilkenny |
2012 | domesticMATTERS, Contemporary Applied Arts, London, UK Wallpaper* Handmade, Brioni Salone del Mobile, Milan, Italy, Porcelain, Oxford Ceramics Gallery, UK, For the Table, Contemporary Ceramics, London, UK, Ceramic Art, Royal College of Art, London, UK |
2011 | New Domestic Ceramics, Gallery Top, Derbyshire, UK, Origin, London, UK, Cultural Connections, Collect in the Country, Henley on Thames, UK, transFORM, Farmleigh Gallery, Dublin, COLLECT, Saatchi Gallery, London, UK, Linen Diaspora, 4th Biennale Internationale Du Lin De Portneuf, Quebec, Canada, Artists Showcase, Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Wakefield, UK, Ceramic Art, Royal College of Art, London, UK |
2010 | Origin, London, UK, Cultural Connections, Collect in the Country, Henley on Thames, UK, Ceramics+, London Design Festival, UK, FUNKtional, Leach Pottery and Museum, St Ives, UK, The Art of Dining, RBSA Gallery, Birmingham, UK, 20:10, Ruthin Craft Centre Gallery, Ruthin, UK, Ceramic Art, Royal College of Art, London, UK |
2009 | White Christmas, Naughton Gallery, Belfast, Christmas Exhibition, Gallery Nine, Bath, UK, Gifted, Wexford Arts Centre, Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair, Manchester, UK, Designer and Makers, FE McWilliam Gallery, Banbridge, Co. Down, Irish Potters Showcase, Harley Gallery, Nottingham, UK, Northern Ireland Contemporary Ceramics, Belfast, Beyond Traditional Boundaries, University of Ulster, Belfast, Belfast Exhibition, Space CRAFT, Belfast |
2008 | Breaking Out, National Craft Gallery, Kilkenny, Emerge and Infuse, Space CRAFT, Belfast, Group Show, Island Arts Centre, Lisburn, Co. Antrim, RDS National Crafts Competition, Dublin |
2007 | New Designers Exhibition, London, UK, Master’s Exhibition, University of Ulster, Belfast |
Contact Details:
Derek Wilson
25-51 York Street
Belfast, Co. Antrim,
BT15 1ED
T. +44 786 0533681
E. studio@derekwilsonceramics.com
www.derekwilsonceramics.com