Wason Joanna

Joanna was born in Berlin in 1952 and grew up near Bideford, North Devon.  She attended the Exeter College of Art as well as the Liverpool Art School in the early seventies where she studied fine art.

In 1974 while living in Scotland her husband set up a pottery and with clay at hand Joanna began making portrait heads and figurative sculptures.  From that Joanna learnt mould making allowing her to make much larger sculptures which she cast in cement or metal and resin.  

After moving to Cornwall Joanna was introduced to The Leach Pottery where in 1988 she found herself working for Janet Leach as a studio assistant.  From the pottery she explored working with thrown and slab stoneware pots, bowls, bottles and boxes using ash or iron rich glazes.  Joanna stayed at the pottery long after Janet’s death and was one of the last of potters at the pottery when it closed its doors at the end of 2005.  

Since leaving The Leach Pottery Joanna has set up her own workshop.  She continues to throw stoneware and porcelain pots as well as creating ceramic sculptures, all of which are fired in a reduction atmosphere in her gas kiln.