Sue Pryke - Ceramicist

Sue’s background is firmly rooted in the crafts, having started her journey into ceramics at a small pottery in Lincolnshire in the mid 1980’s. Learning the skills of production throwing; sometimes digging the clay, then wedging and weighing the clay to throw to all the same size and shape. After graduation Sue’s first job was at Wedgwood as a shape designer, guided by the design team to understand the breadth of ceramic form, from how a plate should sit on the table to how a spout should pour. And taught by the highly skilled model makers to understand volume and the transition from 2D to 3D and to visualise those forms into fine plaster models. She’s worked both as an in-house designer and as a freelance designer for over 20 years for retailers and manufacturers and still uses the skills she learnt in her first job. Sue is inspired by the everyday and the ordinary; material qualities, textures and the interaction we have with objects. Small details and preferences which reflect the intuitive decision making we all make on a daily basis when choosing what cup to take from the cupboard for a cup of tea. In collaboration with her husband John and his company Wild + Wood, Sue also has The Mr & Mrs Collection. Returning to making their own collections after a time in other design jobs they set out to create a range of objects that sit comfortably in the home, that aren't awkward, audacious or tricky to use, but are familiar, have fluency and sit effortlessly. Sue was also a judge on Series 3 of The Great Pottery Throw Down. Sue’s episode “That curvaceous vase looks like Auntie Betty” We hear how Sue came to work in ceramics, from her first job at Wedgewood, right through to her busy and incredibly successful industrial-scale slip casting business. We obviously probe her about The Great Pottery Throw Down, on which she was a judge in series 3 and we touch on some rather unexpected topics as well. From how she named her vases after her family members (well, that could be awkward) to some more off piste topics, several of which seem to involve swimming costume malfunctions. Sue mentions lots of other programmes in a similar vein to ‘Throw Down’ - all of which we had included a link to below if you want some fabulous watching. We hope you enjoy this fabulously entertaining episode with Sue - oh and do make sure you have a look at her absolutely drool-worthy ceramics, be warned though, it may lead to purchasing !