Ruthin Craft Centre Ceramic Portal

28 September 2024 - 12 January 2025

This exhibition at Ruthin Craft Centre in Denbighshire, North Wales, highlights some of the work from my 18 month apprenticeship with wood-firing potter Simon Levin in Pawnee, Illinois (Feb 2023-July 2024). Simon has been running a prestigious apprenticeship programme sine 2004 and I was delighted to be provided with a ‘Create’ grant from the Arts Council of Wales for this professional development programme. I’m also grateful to the North American Wales Foundation for their generosity in providing financial assistance as well as International Arts and Artists my US visa sponsor.

‘With wood as the sole source of fuel, these pots showcase the transformational potential of fire to create rich and enigmatic surface effects. The lengthy firing process involves days of teamwork and cooperation with other makers, leading to new friendships, sharing of experiences and storytelling. This selection of work begins to capture some of the warmth of this shared communal experience.’

For more information visit: Elin Hughes - Ruthin Craft Centre

Molton Brown x Elin Hughes

Earlier in 2023 I teamed up with iconic British fragrance company Molton Brown to design and make a limited edition run of bottle holders. It was great to finally be able to share the fruits of our collaboration ‘Broken Beauty’ this summer, as the project launched exclusively in Molton Brown's flagship London Regent Street store in July.

The pioneering company which was founded in 1971, debuted their “Artists In Residence Collaboration” this year, which will become an annual series supporting local craftsmanship and spotlighting up-and-coming British creatives. Riffing off the different characters of the company's cult fragrances – Orange & Bergamot, Delicious Rhubarb & Rose and Coastal Cypress & Sea Fennel, I crafted a run of 75 holders for Molton's refillable Hand Wash Glass Bottle. These distorted vessels of scalloped arcs and looping tendrils ripple, swirl and pull apart as an embodiment of growth. You can learn more about the project here: Regent Street Exclusive

To learn more about past projects visit the Gallery section

Pictured: Gaudy Welsh collaboration with Leigh Chappell Flowers and Oriel Myrddin