Material Memory: Sculptural ceramics in response to Donald Locke  - Camden Art Centre
Type
Courses & Workshops
Format
In the Building
Date 22/23 Aug 2026
Price £150
Booking information:

Sat 22 Aug, 12-6pm & Sun 23 Aug, 12.30-6pm. This course is for adults (18+).

Book

Inspired by the work of Donald Locke, explore a sculptural approach to ceramics in this two-day workshop.

Taking inspiration from the ceramic works in Resistant Forms, the ongoing exhibition of Donald Locke at Camden Art Centre, tutor Hanna Salomonsson will lead participants to investigate clay not only as a functional or decorative medium, but as a carrier of cultural memory and layered personal history. 

The workshop will emphasise experimentation, assemblage, surface treatment, and conceptual development. Participants will be encouraged to move beyond traditional vessel-making towards expressive, hybrid ceramic forms, with a particular focus on Locke’s biomorphic and mixed media sculptures.

Course Structure Further info and FAQs Course Tutor About Turning Earth

Course Structure

 • Introduction to the studio, the ceramic process, materials and health and safety.

• Introduction to Donald Locke’s sculptural language through a guided tour of Resistant Forms.

• Sketching session and sketch to clay translation exercises.

• Development of small studies/maquettes exploring form and structure.

• Technical introduction to slab building and coil construction.

• Discussion of Locke’s move from ceramic form to mixed-media assemblage, introduction to mixed-media integration (wire, found objects, textured impressions).

• Start larger sculptural piece.

Introduction to trimming and refinement of surfaces/forms.

• Techniques for joining multiple clay forms into cohesive sculptural units.

• Participants continue developing their primary sculpture.

• Discussion: surface as narrative record.

• Surface treatment techniques: layering slips, carving, sgraffito, oxide staining.

• Final refinement of sculptures.

• Group critique and reflection.

Further info and FAQs

This is a two day course taking place on Saturday 22 August, 12-6pm and Sunday 23 August, 12.30-6pm.  Participants are required to attend both days of the course.

All artistic materials are provided. Participants are asked to bring along the following:

• Sketchbook
• Personal reference images or conceptual materials
• Found objects for discussion how these can be incorporated into the sculptures post firing

This course is suitable for adults aged 18+.

Course Tutor

Hanna Salomonsson is a London-based Swedish/British ceramic artist with a background in landscape architecture. Her ceramic work draws upon the quiet lyricism of the Scandinavian landscape, as well as the rich, multi-layered history of her current UK surroundings. She is interested in how our sense of identity is anchored in our childhood landscapes, and her work aims to awaken memories, reconnect people with their surroundings and to inspire contemplation around the fragility of the natural world. Her pieces are created using a range of hand building techniques such as coiling, sculpting and carving.

Hanna joined Turning Earth in 2018 and is now based at In Production Studio in Leyton. Hanna teaches a range of courses and workshops at Camden Art Centre and Turning Earth Highgate. She exhibits regularly throughout the UK, and recent shows include Collect at Somerset House, Ceramic Art London and Craft in Evolution at Contemporary Applied Arts Gallery.

About Turning Earth

Turning Earth pioneered the open-access ceramics membership model in the UK. Launching in 2013, they brought to London a model of community ceramics makerspace that had been developing in the US, and subsequently inspired many similar studios around the world. Since then, they have opened four studios: Hoxton, Leyton, Highgate, and In Production (a shared studio for more professional potters, next to their Leyton site). They run monthly memberships and weekly beginners and intermediate classes in each of their studios. In 2025 Turning Earth and Camden Art Centre initiated a partnership to run courses.