Sasha Wardell
Sasha Wardell has been working in bone china since 1982 after completing both undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in ceramics in the UK. These included industrial training periods at L’Ecole Nationale des Arts Decoratifs in Limoges and the design studio at the Royal Doulton factory, Stoke on Trent.
Sasha is a leading exponent in taking what was primarily considered an industrial method and adapting its techniques to make beautiful and highly individualised pieces.
I have been working in bone china since 1982 after studying in both the UK and France with industrial training periods in Stoke on Trent and Limoges. Both experiences have strongly influenced the way in which I currently work resulting in a fascination and intrigue for methods and materials which present a challenge. It is for this reason that, bone china with all its idiosyncrasies, and slip casting with the precision it offers, have remained my favorite materials and working methods. Architectural detail and sections of structures, combined with an interest in illusions provide the starting point for the pieces whilst the inherent qualities of the clay do the rest—its whiteness offers a pure blank canvas for the inclusion of color and its translucency enhances any varying degree of luminosity.
Sasha’s work is both decorative and functional, slipcasting Bone China to an egg-shell thinness to enhance its translucency. After molding and casting, the pieces are fired three times. After the first soft firing the work is sanded before firing to 1260 Centigrade to mature the body. Finally, follows a firing to 1080 Centigrade to harden the decoration which has been air brushed through a series of intricate masks. The work is then hand polished to achieve the satin matte finish.
Wardell was born in Negombo, Sri Lanka in 1956. She received her BA in ceramics at Bath Academy of Art, Corsham and studied industrial ceramics at Ecole Nationale des arts Decoratifs, Limoges. In 1981 she gained an MA in ceramic design at North Staffordshire Polytechnic, Stoke-on-Trent. Since 1983, Sasha has worked as a lecturer throughout the country and participated in many international workshops worldwide. She is a Fellow of the Craft Potters Association. Her work has been exhibited widely both nationally and internationally and can be seen in many public collections where she has won various awards.