About me

Biography

My training began in the late 1970s, when I followed a studio apprenticeship in the Leach tradition. At eighteen years old I was throwing 50 cups per hour, and enjoying every minute. The discipline was hard, but I have brought with me the skills that I learned in those early years and they have served me every day of my working life.
My transformation from production thrower to studio potter took many years and many journeys; my “journeyman” travels took me around the world, starting in the French wood-firing potters’ village La Borne, to Australia, New Zealand, South East Asia, Japan, and South America, and finally to Italy, where I eventually settled down among the gentle hills of Tuscany.
I arrived in Italy in 1998 and took my first steps of Italian life working for the La Meridiana pottery school, but I quickly moved on to establish myself as an art studio potter.
The stoneware movement in Italy is still in its early evolutionary stages and as a result, there is very little understanding of high-temperature ceramics. I travel fairly frequently to the northern European pottery markets and festivals, where sometimes I am also invited to perform one of my experimental kilns.
The work I am producing now is divided into a small range of gas-fired reduction stoneware, teapots, bowls, and sake (or grappini) cups and my more personal work. My work is based on a technique that I developed many years ago in the U.K. In Italy it has been named “pelle d’elefante” (elephant skin). These pieces are thrown, but are pushed outwards while they are being made, to crack the surface; they give the feeling of dry burnt earth.
My studio and gallery near Certaldo were set up in 2004 and are open most days of the year for visitors.

Summary

1961 Born in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, United Kingdom.
1977- 78 Studio training, The Cooper Pottery
1980-82 Signum studios, further intense training
1982-84 Coalport China Works Museum, head of the training team.
1984-88 First studio: Wales/England Green Island studio, Dorset ex. Guy Sydenham.
1990 Greek Island of Evia, teaching at Alan Bain ceramics school
1991 San Antonio, studio work.
1991 La Borne pottery village France, wood kiln study
1992-95 Set up Stapehill Abbey pottery studio – UK
1995 South America, exploring South America collecting and studying ceramics.
1996 Melbourne/Adelaide Australia. Jam Factory ceramic workshop and school.
1997 Auckland New Zealand, studying Chinese ceramics, Philippines, Borneo, Malaysia, Thailand, Burma
1998 Tuscany, Italy. Teaching at La Meridiana ceramics school.
2000 Development of current work, the building of Pino Scarpeto ceramics studio in Certaldo.
Founding member of Arte della Ceramica ceramics association.
Exhibitions of work all over Europe.
2005-12 Interest in alternative kiln building together with Italian colleague Alberto Cavalinni.
The first glass wine bottle kiln developed. The fiber panel kiln, and various versions of the paper/cotton sheet kiln.
Public performance firings – festival of ceramics in Montelupo, festival of ceramics in Nove Veneto, Argilla festival in Faenza.
International ceramics festival in Aberywsth, Wales.
Elected vice president of Arte Della Ceramica.
2013 Founding member, and vice president of cultural association   Caba associazione culturale. Founded in the memory of Alberto Cavallini, to work with school children, and young artists, with the making of pottery and ceramics.

Group Exhibitions

1989 Candover Gallery Hampshire U.K. 101 Jugs.
1994 Walford Mill Dorset pottery group
1996 Jam Factory Adelaide Australia
1998 Bournmouth University gallery, Green Island Potters
2000 Gallery Sigillo, Florence
2001 Bearsteps Gallery – UK
2003 Portsmouth New Hampshire, USA, Show Toscana
2005 Nove Veneto Italy open studio / 2006, 07, 08
2005 Association Arte della Ceramica annual show, Montelupo, Florence
2006 Art in Clay, Hatfield House, London
2006 Loggetta del Trentanove Exhibition, Faenza, Italy
2007 Invited guest artist in exhibition “La mano, il cuore, la poesia” in Kanramachi and Tokyo, Japan
2007 Villa of the One Hundred Chimneys, Florence
2007 “Terre Di Valdelsa”, Banca di Credito Coopertivo Certaldo
2008 Collective show in Moustiers St. Marie, Provence, France
2008 “Le forme dell’acqua” Arte della Ceramica Association Ceramic Festival, Montelupo
2009 Dead Sea Ceramic Center, Israel
2010 Bildung gallery Tannaz, Firenze
2011 “150 years Italia”, Museum of Ceramics, Montelupo, Florence
2011 “e poi il fuoco”, Certaldo, Italy
2012 “Ceramica Fiorita”, Contrada del Nicchio, Siena
2012 “Change”, Centro Ceramica Fornace Pagliero, Torino
2013 “Ceramica d’uso abuso e riuso”, Nobile contrada del Nicchio, Siena
2013 58 Premio Museum Faenza Finalist.www.micfaenza.org
2013 Futuro Anteriore Padova Italia
2013Invited artist to built chianti glass bottle kiln  for the polish ceramic festival www.swietoceramiki.pl
2014    Epifania Del Sacro    Contrada del Nicchio    Siena
2014  13th Westerwald Preis Keramikmuseum   Hohr-grenzhausen   Germany
2015  La Ciotola Come  Metafora  Nobile contrada del Nicchio, Siena
2015  ”  terrae ”  La ceramic nell’informale e nella ricerca contemporanea  commune di Citta di Castello Pinacoteca comunale Umbria.
2015. 59° Premio Faenza    Museum Faenza Finalist. www.micfaenza.org
2015 Foodish Ceramics – Eataly- Rome
2016   CELLE LIGURE  provincial di Savona   Ceramica Celle
2016   Cube compressi   Roma, Faenza, Torgiano  Keramos Roma
2016    Bakers Dozen   The Round House gallery  Derbyshire U.
2016  Terra Condivisa  Collaborazioni e contribute tra gli artisti. Nobile contrada del nicchio  Siena Italia
2017   IMPRONTE.  Scarperia Firenze.   Exhibition on the theme of digital imprint (finger print)
2017   TERRA VIVENTE. Borgo Pignano Art Gallery. Vitalitarta gallery
2017   Nobile Contrada del Nicchio Siena   CONTENUTI. Preziosita e minuzie nella scultura ceramica contemporanea.
2018  TERRA   “XXV Concorso di Ceramica Mediterranea” per la Mostra della Ceramica 2018 dal titolo “TERRA identità, luogo, materia”, My piece was called Gin and Tectonic.
2018   Terra Vivente – Pinacoteca and Museo Civico of Volterra
2018   Arte dei Vasai della Nobile Contrada del Nicchio Siena .   Travasi Ovvero Vasi Comunicanti.
2018    30th celebration of the Gmunden Ceramic market Austria.  I was chosen to show my work. in the town Council

Solo exhibitions

1984 Bearsteps Gallery, Shrewsbury, UK
1993 Noel House Hampshire, UK
2006 One man show, Villa San Paolo, San Gimignano
2007 “Terry Davies Studio Potter”, National museum of Ceramics, Montelupo Florence
2007 “Terry Davies Studio Potter”, Gruppo Artistico Grumello Arte, Grumello del Monte, Bergamo
2014    Terry Davies   CasaNova  officna delle arte     Siena
2015    Terry Davies  Keramos Roma   www.keramsart.it
2016  Keramiek van Terry Davies   Theemaas  Rotterdam Holland
2017   Museo della ceramica Grottaglie (TA ) Italia   Mostra personale. Le sezione speciale e dedicata all’artsta inglese terry davies che festeggia quest’anno 40 anni.

Pottery Markets and Festivals

Earth and Fire, Rufford U.K
International Ceramics Festival – Gmunden, Austria
Art in Clay, Hatfield House – London, UK
Invited guest potter “La Borne s’inflamme” exhibition and wood kiln firing – France
Argillà International festival – Faenza
Bandol – France
Potfest in the park – UK
Argilla AUBAGNE – France
Diessen – Germany.
Keramiktage Oldenburg  Germany
Topfermarkt Gmunden Austria
Milsbeek Holand
Art In Action Oxford U.K
Terrania Mont blanc Barcelona Spain

Public and Private collections

Cargaleiro Museum of Ceramics, Vietri sul mare – Naples
International museum of ceramics – Faenza www.micfaenza.org
Museum of ceramics – Nove, Veneto. North Italy
Kanramachi City Council, Gunra – Japan.
Museum of Ceramics, Nove Veneto Italy
International Modern Art, and Design Museum Munich Germany.

Bibliography

Shropshire Magazine, various features
Dorset Life, “A Potters Work”
Ceramic Review 1989, “Salt glaze Green Island”
Australian Crafts Magazine 1996, “Terry Davies, a travelling potter”
Il Tirreno, 2 febbraio 2006 “L’artista gallese Terry Davies ospite del primo circolo”
La Nazione, 1. dicembre 2007 “La creatività al potere. Dalla personale di Terry Davies al concorso degli studenti”
“A Stoneware potter in Earthenware Italy.” . Ceramic Review London Jan / Feb 2011
Second edition of the British Studio Potters’ Marks, book.
Sustainability in Ceramics. USA
The Florentine. Terry Davies Studio Pottery Preacher. by Sam Lawley.