Hilary Simms

British ceramics Raku art

Hilary Simms, a talented ceramic artist, recently joined the ICAS Vilas Art Gallery in the UK, showcasing her stunning pieces inspired by British sculptors like Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth. Her love for art began during a visit to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, where she was captivated by the tactile qualities of the sculptures.

Hilary’s passion for ceramic art led her to specialise in raku pottery, a traditional Japanese technique that originated in the late sixteenth century. This technique involves creating small-scale vessels for the Tea Ceremony, which reflects an enlightened life as the process of creating a piece goes through the firing process derived from the earth.

Creating raku pottery involves all four elements – earth, fire, water, and air. Water is used during the forming process to keep the clay damp, and after firing, the piece cools in the air. The firing process involves:

• Heating the pieces at high temperatures.
• Quickly remove them from the kiln.
• Placing them in a container filled with combustible materials.

The rapid cooling of the piece in this container results in unique and unpredictable patterns on the surface, making each piece one-of-a-kind.

Hilary’s raku sculpture inspiration is from the beauty of the nautilus, a pelagic marine mollusc of the cephalopod family Nautilidae. The nautilus has a spiral shell with intricate patterns, and Hilary has captured this beauty in her ceramic art. Her sculptures are visually stunning and have a tactile quality that draws the viewer in, inviting them to touch and explore the piece.

Hilary’s ceramic sculptural art featured at the ICAS Vilas Art Gallery, UK, is an exciting development for ceramic art lovers. Her raku pottery reflects a deep understanding of the traditional technique while incorporating her unique style and inspiration from British sculptors. Her art will surely captivate and inspire anyone who enjoys experiencing it.

HILLARY SIMMS – NAUTILUS CERAMIC COLLECTION

“Each raku sculpture produced in her studios will evoke an emotional response from the viewer”.

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HISTORY of RAKU POTTERY

Raku is a pottery technique that has its origins in 16th-century Japan. The firing process of “Raku” ware was first developed by Chojiro, founder of the Raku dynasty’s first generation, in the 16th century.
The Chojiro’s tea bowls produced using the Raku firing technique were brought to the attention of Emperor Hideyoshi. The Emperor was very impressed with the unpretentious and aesthetically pleasing tea bowls. As a result, the Emperor bestowed, in memory of Chojiro, a gold seal that bore the emblem symbolising “Raku” on Chojiro’s son Jokei.
“Raku” comes from the ideograph engraved on that gold seal. “Raku”, when freely and loosely translated, can mean joy, enjoyment, pleasure, comfort, happiness, or contentment. The word “Raku” thereby became Chojiro’s family name/title.

BIOGRAPHY. 

2011 Visiting artist at Harrogate Ladies College, demonstrating hand building and naked raku firing to GCSE students. Showed my Nautilus Collection at Open Up Sheffield, The Art Market Holmfirth, Art in Clay Hatfield House Hertfordshire, Art in the Pen Skipton, and The Huddersfield Art Gallery.

2010 Showed my Nautilus Collection of hand-built naked raku-fired ceramics at the Art Market in Holmfirth, Chatsworth Country Fair, and Simply Christmas Harrogate.

2009 An opportunity arose to take an 18-month residency at The Sculpture Lounge, where I have full-time studio space to develop my professional practice further.

2007 Showed my Volcanic Ceramics for Open Up Sheffield.

2005 I Set up my first studio to develop and pursue my professional practice as a full-time ceramicist.

1996 Several years of experience in an industrial ceramics workshop with our family-run business, trading throughout Europe.

1995-2009 Taught hand-built ceramics at a primary school part-time.

1990 Craft fairs in South Yorkshire and Derbyshire selling hand-built ceramics.

1988 Barnsley Art College for a part-time ceramics course.

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ICAS Vilas Art Gallery, 21 Commerce Way, Garden Square Shopping Centre, , Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire SG6 3DN, United Kingdom (UK) - Phone: 01462677455 Email: info@vilasart.co.uk URL: https://www.vilasart.co.uk/

ICAS – VILAS FINE ART British ceramic Raku sculpture Collection From The Studios of HILARY SIMMS

Exhibitions

ICAS Vilas Art Gallery, 21 Commerce Way, Garden Square Shopping Centre, , Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire SG6 3DN, United Kingdom (UK) - Phone: 01462677455 Email: info@vilasart.co.uk