Helen Matthews

Helen Matthews has been working with clay for over ten years, focusing on wheel throwing to form a variety of functional and ornamental objects.

Helen enjoys exploring the elemental processes of alternative firing techniques to produce unique surface patterns. The fascination with these centuries-old firing methods stems from the mix of tradition, unpredictability and aesthetic uniqueness.

This series of forms are obvara fired. This method, sometimes known as Baltic Raku, is an ancient Eastern European technique dating back to the 12th century. Helen is fascinated by the distinctive patterns produced by the alchemy of heat, obvara brew and rapid cooling.