About the maker
Russell Gibbs is a British studio potter based in Cheddar, Somerset, known for his fine earthenware ceramics and work in the British studio pottery tradition. Originally from northern England, he studied pottery at Carlisle School of Art, undertaking an HND in Ceramics under the tuition of Jim Malone and Mike Dodd. During his studies, he also completed work placements with Colin Pearson, Byron Temple in the USA, and Peter Strong, gaining a broad range of influences and technical experience.
Following his formal training, Gibbs completed a traditional five‑year apprenticeship with Peter Strong, specialising in production throwing, and then worked as a journeyman potter at various studios in the UK and Europe before settling for many years on the Lizard Peninsula in Cornwall. His work has always focused on earthenware using traditional slipware decoration on once‑fired pots, fired in oxidation to around 1120 °C. He draws on influences from the Leach pottery tradition — combining Eastern and Western techniques — as well as Korean and Japanese approaches such as hakeme and Oribe styles, while also producing domestic slipware ranges inspired by T.G. Green’s Cornish Ware.
In 2020, Gibbs opened his studio workshop in Cheddar Gorge, where he works with Whichford Pottery earthenware clay, firing pieces in an electric kiln at around 1060 °C using white slip and honey and green glazes in a hakeme/Tang style. His ceramics are recognised for their combination of traditional materials and design with expressive surface decoration, and his practice continues to evolve while maintaining a strong link to the British earthenware and studio pottery heritage
