Vigour & Skills - Meet the Maker: Reesha Zubair
Reesha Zubair is an artisan potter working from her studio in Bristol. She produces small batches of pottery, both wheel thrown and hand built. Pieces vary from stand alone art to more functional tableware. We chatted to Reesha ahead of her introduction to clay and the fundamentals of hand-building techniques workshop in May. We learn about who inspires her and how her heritage and native home of the Maldives influences her work.
What 3 words best describe your style and collections?
Tactile, imperfect, human
Who or what inspires you?
The Women In my life. In particular my grandmothers were a huge part of my upbringing - one is still alive and how she lives still inspires me - through the shapes and textures I use, you can see them. Watching them both blossom in a patriarchal society, women had a different backdrop and limits, they both navigated this and I find it encouraging and inspiring.
Do you have any particular mantras you work/live by?
Keep Doing ...
Your background and heritage play a huge part in your design process - can you tell us a bit about it?
It’s true that everything I do comes from my Maldivian culture and heritage and the ones I love. My upbringing in the Maldives, including all the people who made an impact on me informs my work, I am trying to keep it alive. I never want to forget where I came from.
When I started out, I took a lot of inspiration from the trees and sunsets and my colour palette reflected such with greens and blues at the forefront but along the way as my practice has evolved, I enjoy a more muted colour palette using darker browns and blacks and I have shifted my focus on to the people around me... my recent work shapes and styles are an homage to all the female influences in my life.
Have you always been a ceramicist - how did you start this creative journey?
I was doing something completely different until My late 30's. During a period of discontentment I found pottery and it filled me with immense joy. I felt immediately this could bring me and people around me the same joy - I never went to art college but so grateful it came at any point in my life.
What advice would you give to any one starting out in ceramics today?
I would say to any body to just give it a try - always good to try new things. I have watched people in set paths find it difficult to change but if you feel that a different path would make you happier then try! Being and potter is a brilliant multi layers craft - hand built to the wheel - There is something for everybody.
