Lucy Butterwick makes simple handbuilt forms decorated with glaze and lustre. Echoes of ancient cultures and the natural world, her pieces create a sense of stillness and contemplation. Visits to Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, USA and Europe have influenced her work. She has received Arts Council funds to develop her ceramics and pieces are included in the Oxfordshire Collection of Contemporary Craft. Her work has been shown in the UK, Ireland, France and the USA.

Totem and Tribe series

Totem: a spirit, sacred object, symbol or emblem of a group of people, such as a family, clan, lineage or tribe, that has special significance in tribal life. This new body of work consists of handbuilt terracotta slabs shaped into tall cylindrical forms with coloured bands and housed in cubes. Totem like forms with colours inspired by autumn woodland walks and summer flowers on the kitchen table, these pieces are about family, identity and home. Earthy but bold, I hope they have a timeless quality, both ancient and modern. They are about a sense of connection to who we are through our people past and present, which feels poignant and profound.

Tribe: Nestled within Totem is a little series of small ancestry pots in orange, green and gold.