Awards

The Lifetime Achievement Award, presented to a potter or ceramist who has done much to promote the ceramic arts during their life. The recipient of this award is selected from proposals made by the participants at the previous festival.

Potterycrafts Lifetime Achievement Award 2013

The 2013 Award is sponsored By Potterycrafts

Lifetime Achievement Award 2011 – Emmanuel Cooper

The 2011 award was received by Bonnie Kemske on behalf of Emmanuel Cooper.

Born in a Derbyshire mining area, Emmanuel Cooper OBE trained at Hornsey College of Art and set up his own pottery in 1963 in London, where he lived and worked. Emmanuel was a writer, lecturer and potter who always maintained his practice producing thrown and modelled porcelain and stoneware. His work is characterised by clean, neat and functional forms, allied with Bernard Leach’s concept of the primacy of form over decoration, although in appearance they are much closer to the work of Lucie Rie.

Initially focused on tablewares, Emanuel later specialised in individual pieces, especially bowl and jug forms, distinguished by a range of innovative glazes in white, turquoise and yellow. Emmanuel was the chair of the Craft Potters Association and was one of the founding editors of Ceramic Review in 1970.

An influential and extensive writer and broadcaster on the arts, his books include A Thousand Years of Pottery and a biography of Bernard Leach (2002) as well as works on working class art and homo-erotic art and photography.

Lifetime Achievement Award 2009 – Don Reitz

Don Reitz is undoubtedly one of the most important and influential ceramicists working today. Taught at Alfred University in the early 1960’s, Reitz has pursued a life-long investigation of both salt and wood firing, his forms full bodied and boldly marked and etched with knife marks. A great teacher and a fearless improviser, Don Reitz has received many honours world-wide including the 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award

Lifetime Achievement Award 2007 – Ruth Duckworth

Ruth Duckworth was one of the grand dames of ceramics. Examples of her work are held in major institutions throughout the world such as the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and the Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York.

Born in Hamburg in 1919 she Emigrated to Britain in 1935 and spent the first the first thirteen years of her career working as a stone carver. She developed a minimalist style which was carried through her work as she moved into ceramics. This period coincided with the great resurgence in functional pottery under the influence of makers such as Leach and Hamada and an emphasis on materials and processes. Ruth’s modernist and abstract sculpture by contrast was concerned with ideas and intellect. Expanding the horizon of ceramics, she excited and influenced generations of potters.

The rapid development of her reputation especially for her work in porcelain led to a years sabbatical to teach at the University of Chicago. Accepting the position allowed her to create more monumental works than when she lived and worked in Europe. For this reason, she decided to remain permanently in the United States.

Ruth Duckworth was a true and worthy recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Lifetime Achievement Award 2005 – David Leach

David Leach, the eldest son of the great potter Bernard Leach, was a potter of international reputation whose work is eagerly sought by collectors all over the world. He worked with his father at the Leach Pottery in St Ives as a student, manager and partner until the mid 50s when he set up his own studio at Lowerdown Pottery near Bovey Tracey in Devon. Aside from his own work, David worked extensively in ceramics education and for crafts organisations and throughout his career maintained his enthusiasm for ceramics, constantly striving for technical and artistic improvement. He died in February 2005 after a long and productive life.

Lifetime Achievement Award 2005 – Frank and Janet Hamer

Founder members of the South Wales Potters, Frank is well known for his fish decorated plates and Janet for her ceramic birds. They were suprised and delighted to receive the award in recognition of their work producing The Potter’s Dictionary. This comprehensive and thorough encyclopaedia, now in its fifth edition is used as an invaluable reference by potters worldwide. Information about this book can be found at Potter’s Dictionary

Previous Lifetime Achievement Award winners

2003 Janet Mansfield (Australia) and Warren McKenzie (USA) – February 2013: Janet Mansfield, well-known as a potter, writer, and publisher has sadly passed away. Janet founded Ceramics: Art & Perception in Australia in 1990 and had been involved in our selection advisory panel for many years.
2001 Michael Casson
1999 Ray Finch

International Ceramics Festival