Craig Underhill

Based in Reawla, Cornwall, Craig Underhill has been a ceramic artist for over 30 years.

Craig was born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1968. After leaving school, he studied General Art and Design at Derbyshire College of Higher Education and HND Ceramics at Harrow College before going on to study BA (Hons) Fine Art specialising in Ceramics at Portsmouth Polytechnic, followed by a graduate assistantship at the University of Eastern Illinois, USA in 1990.

Since 1997 he has lectured in ceramics at Dudley College and has exhibited extensively in the UK, France, Germany and the Netherlands.

In 2020 after many years planning, Craig moved home and studio from the Midlands to Cornwall, a part of the country that has been influential in the development of his work.

“Although I learnt to throw at university, I quickly became aware that hand building and more specifically slab building allowed me the creative freedom I wanted.

By applying materials in different ways, I am able to create a diverse range of surface finishes that are designed to work in conjunction with the slab-built forms. I apply layers of materials to build up a richness to the surface and often create areas with an intensity of mark making that give a point of focus and that contrast with plainer, more open and quieter areas.

My work has always been made in response to my surroundings and the environment I find myself in. However, I want to avoid making representational images and instead want to evoke a feeling of place through time.”