LORRAINE ROBSON
Cover: Empty Vessel III, coil-built 2017, 30cm Fear of Flying, coil-built 2010, h23cm
LORRAINE ROBSON “In a world where pressure is on instant results, dominated by commercialism and technology, I enjoy the meditative nature of allowing the form to evolve with handwork, imagination, and human labour using the most primitive material available - the earth itself”. Working from her purpose built studio near Linlithgow in Scotland Lorraine Robson has been designing and producing sculptural ceramics for over 25 years. Her work is one off labour intensive, hand-built, sculptural, vessels rather than functional pieces, crafted using handbuilding techniques, such as coiling, slab or pinching. Installation pieces are produced using plaster moulds taken from hand-built originals to create ceramic cut and altered multiples. “Robson’s extraordinary process takes the vessels through multiple firings, glazes and polishes, each building to the final, glowing surface. Her reductive palette of slate, ivory, terracotta and blood red is both earthy and intensely human. It is reminiscent of rock and earth, blood and bone.” Sloan, Kate. Recent work focuses on progressing ideas explored in Creative Scotland funded development period to produce and exhibit ceramic vessels inspired by armoury collections, encompassing ideas of lost memories and function. That body work, Empty Vessels, raising Dementia awareness, was met with great success through solo exhibitions at The Roger Billcliffe Gallery, Glasgow and &Collective in Bridge of Allan, now &Gallery, Dundas Street, Edinburgh. Lorraine has won awards for her work representing the UK at prestigious Ceramic European and International juried competitions including Austria, Croatia, Slovenia, Hungary, Taiwan, and USA. In 2017 she was one of two artists selected through Crafts Council to promote the best in contemporary UK craft abroad by Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Her coiled, diamond polished vessel, Be Still Life, is now in FCO permanent collection, displayed in the ambassador’s residence Islamabad. 2020 saw the presentation of a ceramic installation as first time exhibitor in Craft Council Collect Open, Somerset House, London. Her work is held in private and public collections.
lorrainerobson.co.uk lorrainerobsonceramics@gmail.com
+44 (0) 7939 301721
Left: Unite, slip cast multiples 2011, h20cm Right: Spin, slip cast series 2020, h25cm
Left: Journeys Grind, coil-built 2018, h17cm Right: Journeys Grind and Kelp Pods, coiled and pinched 2018, h10-17cm
Gameplan revisited, slip cast 2019, h12-30cm
Kelp Tubes, slab-built 2015, h15-29cm
Be Still Life, coiled vessel series 2013-16,h10-42cm
Precious series, slip cast 2019, h14-21cm
Platelet, slump mould 2015, h10xw41cm
Hit Me Shake Me Blow Me, slip cast 2019-2020, installation
E D U C AT I O N : Bachelor of Arts (hons) degree in Sculpture, Heriot Watt, Edinburgh College of Art (1988) SELECTION OF EXHIBITIONS: 1988 SSWA 64th Annual Exhibition, RSA, Edinburgh. (Awarded Sculpture Prize.) 1989 Fruitmarket Gallery Open Exhibition, Edinburgh 1991 Collective Gallery Festival Exhibition, Edinburgh 1991 SSA Centenary Exhibition, RSA, Edinburgh. Commissioned installation work. 1993 SSA Annual Exhibition, Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh 1995 Roger Billcliffe Solo Fine Art Gallery, Glasgow 1995 Women Artists” Peter Potter Gallery, Haddington 1995 Riverside Gallery, Stonehaven 1995 The Strathearn Gallery, Crieff 1996 New Works” Solo The Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh 1996 Peter Potter Gallery, Solo Haddington 1996 T.Garner Gallery, Glasgow. 1995 The Fotheringham Gallery, Bridge of Allan 1997 Coram Gallery, London 1998 James Graham and Sons, Solo New York 1999 Crawford Arts Centre, St Andrews 2000 The Bellevue Gallery, Edinburgh1988 2000 Nexus Galleries, Edinburgh 2000 James Graham and Sons, New York 2001 Gold Gallery, Edinburgh 2003 Solo, The Stenton Gallery, Stenton 2004 Solo,Morningside Gallery, Edinburgh 2005 Solo, Goddards Gallery, Portsmouth 2006 AE Contemporary Art (formerly Eyestorm Gallery), Warwick 2006 Residencies, The Park Gallery, Falkirk 2006 The Biscuit Factory, Newcastle upon Tyne 2006 St Andrews Pottery, St Andrews 2006 Galleria Luti, Callander 2007 Multiplicity, InHouse festival exhibition, Edinburgh. 2008 The Smithy, Blanefield 2009 Hanna’s Gallery, Dundee 2009 Timespan Museum, Helmsdale. Craft showcase exhibition 2010 Roger Billcliff Gallery, Glasgow, UK 2010 Howden Park Centre, Livingston 2011 ‘Unite’ Collins Gallery, Glasgow 2011 Return to the Earth, Peter Potter Gallery, Haddington
2011 2012 2013 2013 2014 2014 2015 2015 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2019
“inside out”, Herzer Palace of the City Museum of Varazdin, Croatia Contemporary Ceramics, London Solo, Offerings, Barony Centre, West Kilbride.UK Solo, Offerings, Peter Potter Gallery, Haddington Line Gallery, Linlithgow. VAS Annual Exhibition, RSA, Edinburgh &Collective Gallery, Bridge of Allan SSA Roselux, Minneapolis, USA RSA Annual Open Exhibition, Edinburgh. VAS Annual Exhibition, RSA, Edinburgh. Solo exhibition &Gallery, Edinburgh Thistle Gallery Glasgow. Roger Billcliffe Fine Art, Glasgow Winter Exhibition at &Gallery, Edinburgh
AWARDS: 2019 Creative Scotland funding towards Collect Open 2020 2014 Creative Scotland Bursary towards Creative Development 2012 Vasefinder, awarded 1st prize, Vasefinder 7th International, USA 2011 Vasefinder, awarded 3rd prize, Vasefinder 6th International, USA 2009 Forth Valley Craft Makers Award towards Professional Development research trip 2009 Scottish Arts Council Creative Development Grant 1991 Awarded Arts Council Grant towards commissioned installation 1988 Selina Goodenough Memorial Prize for Sculpture I N T E R N AT I O N A L C O M P E T I T I O N S : 2016 Taiwan Ceramics Biennale, Yingge Ceramics Museum. 2014 4rd International Triennial of Silicate Arts, Hungary. 2013 8th International Biannual of Ceramics Kapfenberg Austria 2012 UNICUM International Ceramic Triennial, Slovenia. 2012 Invited artist. The IV International Festival of Postmod ern Ceramics, KERAMEIKON, Croatian Ceramic Association, Varazdin 2012 Taiwan Ceramics Biennale. Yingge Ceramics Museum, Taiwan. 2011 3rd International Triennial of Silicate Arts, Hungary. 2011 7th International Biannual of Ceramics presented by the City of Kapfenberg, Austria.
lorrainerobson.co.uk