Sonya Wilkins
Sonya first qualified in BA (Hons) Ceramics in 1995 and her experience spans many years, including teaching ceramics to children and adults. Since 2014 she has blended her love of nature with clay to produce unique leaf tableware, wall planters, porcelain jewellery and more recently sculptural vases. Her pottery is based in Bleadon village, North Somerset where she only has to walk a short distance to forage various leaves to inform her work.
In 2020 Sonya’s pond lily leaf dishes were used by Niall Keating, Executive Chef at Whatley Manor on BBC2’s ‘The Great British Menu’. Since then her work has also been aired on ITV’s ‘Love Your Weekend’ hosted by Alan Titchmarsh. She also sells her work to select galleries in the South West and Botanical and RHS shows nationally.
Sonya has always enjoyed using mixed clays and porcelain in her creations. She was inspired by the work of Ewen Henderson at college and this influence can still be seen in her work to this day. Her signature collection of vases are thrown on the potter’s wheel in varying layers of clays which encourage fissures to appear in the structure. This reminds us of the contortions we see in old trees, bark and skeleton leaves. Sonya is interested in how we view ageing, both in nature and our own society. Much like the wrinkles on our faces tell a story of our lives, the decay of natural forms also tell a story of natural transformation.
Sonya first qualified in BA (Hons) Ceramics in 1995 and her experience spans many years, including teaching ceramics to children and adults. Since 2014 she has blended her love of nature with clay to produce unique leaf tableware, wall planters, porcelain jewellery and more recently sculptural vases. Her pottery is based in Bleadon village, North Somerset where she only has to walk a short distance to forage various leaves to inform her work.
In 2020 Sonya’s pond lily leaf dishes were used by Niall Keating, Executive Chef at Whatley Manor on BBC2’s ‘The Great British Menu’. Since then her work has also been aired on ITV’s ‘Love Your Weekend’ hosted by Alan Titchmarsh. She also sells her work to select galleries in the South West and Botanical and RHS shows nationally.
Sonya has always enjoyed using mixed clays and porcelain in her creations. She was inspired by the work of Ewen Henderson at college and this influence can still be seen in her work to this day. Her signature collection of vases are thrown on the potter’s wheel in varying layers of clays which encourage fissures to appear in the structure. This reminds us of the contortions we see in old trees, bark and skeleton leaves. Sonya is interested in how we view ageing, both in nature and our own society. Much like the wrinkles on our faces tell a story of our lives, the decay of natural forms also tell a story of natural transformation.
