Clive Bowen (born 1943 in

Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...

) is a

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...

based potter whose work is included in a number of public collections.

Education and training

Bowen studied painting and etching at

Cardiff College of Art Cardiff School of Art & Design (CSAD) is one of the five schools that comprise Cardiff Metropolitan University. It originated as the Cardiff School of Art in 1865. History Cardiff School of Art & Design opened in 1865 as the Cardiff School of S ...

from 1960–64. He then became the apprentice of Michael Leach, at Yelland Pottery where he came to love the rich Fremington clay and earthenware of Fishley. A further year at Brannam Pottery in

Barnstaple Barnstaple ( or ) is a river-port town in North Devon, England, at the River Taw's lowest crossing point before the Bristol Channel. From the 14th century, it was licensed to export wool and won great wealth. Later it imported Irish wool, bu ...

allowed him to develop his throwing skills and to gain the ability to make large pots. Residing in North Devon allowed Bowen the opportunity to help fire pots at Wenford Bridge with

Michael Cardew Michael Ambrose Cardew (1901–1983), was an English studio potter who worked in West Africa for twenty years. Early life Cardew was born in Wimbledon, London, the fourth child of Arthur Cardew, a civil servant, and Alexandra Kitchin, the elde ...

and to meet

Svend Bayer Svend Bayer (born 2 January 1946 in Uganda to Danish parents) is a Danish-British studio potter described by Michael Cardew as "easily my best pupil." Bayer grew up in Tanganyika and discovered pottery whilst studying geography and economics at ...

who became a lifelong friend.

Career

In 1971 Bowen purchased a small agricultural property at Shebbear in North Devon and established his pottery with large double-chambered woodfiring kilns. Bowen still uses local Fremington clay and is internationally known and respected for his powerful yet intimate pieces. Bowen exhibits widely in the UK throughout Europe, North America and Japan.

Style

He has been described "as a gestural decorator, even something of an action painter, applying a fluid spontaneity and broad hand to his trailing, pouring and combing. Seeing his pots in groups – runs of splendid jugs, bowls, platters and press-moulded dishes – reveals Bowen's ability to explore within the parameters of his signature forms." (David Whiting)

Public collections

Bowens work can is included in a number of public collection in the UK including: *

Victoria and Albert Museum The Victoria and Albert Museum (often abbreviated as the V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.27 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and nam ...

Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales, branded as simply Amgueddfa Cymru (formerly the National Museums and Galleries of Wales and legally National Museum of Wales), is a Welsh Government sponsored body that comprises seven museums in Wales: * N ...

Ulster Museum The Ulster Museum, located in the Botanic Gardens in Belfast, has around 8,000 square metres (90,000 sq. ft.) of public display space, featuring material from the collections of fine art and applied art, archaeology, ethnography, treasure ...

Fitzwilliam Museum The Fitzwilliam Museum is the art and antiquities museum of the University of Cambridge. It is located on Trumpington Street opposite Fitzwilliam Street in central Cambridge. It was founded in 1816 under the will of Richard FitzWilliam, 7th Vis ...

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...

* York Art Gallery *

Aberystwyth University , mottoeng = A world without knowledge is no world at all , established = 1872 (as ''The University College of Wales'') , former_names = University of Wales, Aberystwyth , type = Public , endowment = ...

Gallery * Craft Council Collection * Royal Albert Memorial Museum

Personal life

Bowen was married to Alison Leach, daughter of Michael Leach and granddaughter of Bernard Leach. Alison died and Clive married Rosie Bowen. His children, Dylan Bowen and Helena Bowen, are also potters.

References

External links

Clive Bowen's website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bowen, Clive 1943 births Living people British potters Alumni of Cardiff School of Art and Design Artists from Cardiff