Andrea Walsh

Andrea Walsh is an artist based in Edinburgh. She studied fine art, before post graduate study of glass, and set up her studio in 2005. A significant contribution to her practice has been the award of residencies, notably the ‘Artist Into Industry Residency’ through the British Ceramics Biennial (a project with the ‘Minton’ brand based at the Wedgwood ceramics factory in Stoke-on-Trent), and the ‘International Crafts Residency’ at Cove Park, Scotland.

Andrea Walsh, Future Heritage 2015 Alumna

Andrea has established an exhibition profile in the UK and internationally. Her work has been shortlisted for the ‘British Ceramics Biennial AWARD’ on three occasions, exhibited regularly at COLLECT, and has been selected as a finalist in the ‘BBC Radio 4/Crafts Council/V&A Woman’s Hour Craft Prize’ in 2017, and the ‘LOEWE Foundation Craft Prize’ in 2019. Her work has been acquired by private and public collections worldwide, including several acquisitions by the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

Pair Of Contained Boxes By Andrea Walsh

At Future Heritage

For Future Heritage Andrea presented a new series of box forms. This body of work had been inspired by research in Japan and developed during a residency with the British Ceramics Biennial at Minton in the Wedgwood Factory in Stoke on Trent. Learning from the master craftsmen there, she explored my visual language of combining materials, and experimented with a unique application of precious metal on ceramic, which was synonymous with the brand.

Each piece combined a ceramic base with a glass lid, created by hand to fit perfectly together. Exploring scale - some pieces were small enough to fit in the palm of the hand, others were large enough to be embraced in the arms.

“Future Heritage was a special opportunity to exhibit within a beautifully curated space in what was an entirely new context for me. Having spent several years developing a new body of work, it was a unique occasion to engage with a different audience, and observe a personal engagement with the pieces. The conversations there, with both the other makers involved and visitors to the show, have formed valuable and longstanding relationships for my practice." - Andrea Walsh

Current work

Andrea makes considered objects that are intimate in scale and place an emphasis on the concept of presentation. Her work investigates ideas of materiality and preciousness, and she is interested in encouraging a tactile and emotional engagement. 

Using a palette of related materials, including ceramics, glass and metal, Andrea is influenced by their inherent qualities, shared working properties, and rich historical associations. Making by hand, using traditional casting techniques, she begins all work by carving forms in plaster. She loves this part of the process and treasures these models as much as the final finished pieces. The shapes evolve and are refined through every stage of making, as they are gradually translated into different materials through the methods of lost wax casting and slip casting, grinding and polishing. Each piece is entirely unique, some displayed individually, sometimes positioned as part of a grouping of related works.

Collection Of Contained Boxes By Andrea Walsh

If you would like to make an enquiry about Andrea Walsh and commissions, get in touch here or visit her website www.andreawalsh.co.uk