Antonia Beringer

I saw a sketch of a Japanese ‘kotori’ or small bird and loved its simplicity; a bird created in just a few lines. As a potter, I knew I wanted to make a bird that was as simple; a distillation of a bird down to its core form.  And because I love to watch birds but have never held one, I wanted to make a bird I could cradle in my hand. 

So I make these birds from heavily grogged stoneware clays; first modelling the form, then refining with sculpting tools and then, after an overnight rest, hollowing out.  Following bisque firing, I use oxides or reactive glazes that fit with the textural surface. The birds are fired to high stoneware temperatures, so they can tolerate hard frosts and hot sunshine, indoors or out. Each bird is made individually by hand, so no two are identical, but they are similar enough to flock together in pairs or groups.  They have been spotted on windowsills and the spaces between plant pots.

I work from a new timber-framed studio in Stroud or an old timber-framed boat on the Dart. In both places birds are always around.