Peter Beard

Peter studied for his degree in Industrial and Furniture Design at Ravensbourne College of Art in London (1970-1973) where he spent time in the ceramics department. On finishing college he helped set up a pottery in Scotland making thrown domestic stoneware. In 1975 he opened his first studio in Kent, making mainly sculptural pieces. Peter’s current studio is in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire.

“I make thrown and hand-built pieces in oxidised stoneware fired to 1280°C, using combinations of shiny, matt and semi-matt glazes, built up in layers prior to firing to create textural surfaces in a range of pastel shades and some stronger colours. Wax resist is used extensively to create patterns and to isolate the glaze layers during application. I have recently diversified into working with bronze, stone and glass, in addition to ceramics.”
 

Peter has exhibited regularly in group and solo exhibitions since 1975 in Britain and abroad, and his work is in many public and private collections.
1976: Elected Fellow of the Craftsmen Potters Association of Great Britain.
1989: Elected to the Council of the Craftsmen Potters Association.
1990: Awarded traveling scholarship by South East Arts to study in Egypt
Awarded Award of Merit, Fletcher Challenge International Ceramics Competition,
New Zealand.
1992: Lecturing and workshop tour of New Zealand and Australia supported by the
British Council.
1993: Employed as a consultant by the charity Project Ploughshare on a project to set up
a pottery in Ethiopia.
1995: Awarded funding by South East Arts for travel and research in Japan.
1996: Winner of the 1996 INAX Design Prize, Japan.
1999: Elected member of The Academy of International Ceramics.
2000: Winner of the Pot d'Or at Keramisto, Holland.
2002: Purchase award, The 2002 International Orton Cone Box Show USA.
Winner of a silver medal at XV111 International Biennial of Ceramic Art, Vallauris, France.
2004: Major Arts Council Award for research. Currently underway.
Exhibited bronze pieces at the Royal Academy, London.
Author of Resists and Masking Techniques in Ceramics for A&C Black.

Solo Exhibitions
2006 Red Barn Gallery, Cumbria,
The Stour Gallery, Warwickshire
2007 Rufford Ceramics Centre, Nottinghamshire

Work held in private and public collections including:
Keramion Museum, Germany
Museum fur Angewandte Kunst, Koln Germany
Ballantyne Collection, UK
Die Neue Samiung Museum, Munich, Germany
Burnley City Art Gallery, UK
Norwich Museum, UK
Stoke on Trent City Museum, UK
INAX Corporation collection, Japan
Museum for Modeme Keramik, Germany
Buckinghamshire County Museum, UK
Leamington Spa Museum, UK
Museum Ariana, Switzerland
Shipley Art Gallery, Gateshead, Tyne & Wear Museums.
Ichon World Ceramic Center, Kyonggi Province, Korea.
International Ceramics Museum of Maroussi, Athens
University of Kansas, USA.
Hanhyanglim Gallery & Jay Collection, Republic of Korea
Work represented on the Crafts Council index of selected members.