Christopher Turrell Merseyside, United Kingdom

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I have been making work in ceramics for over 30 years. My most recent work explores my personal history as a gay man growing up in the 1970's and 80's and discovering queer artists and creatives that helped me to shape who I am. I am currently based in Liverpool where I also run a ceramics studio called Baltic Clay.

I have been working in clay for over 30 years, making work for sale, exhibition and retail. I have taught in a variety of institutions including Central St Martins and University of Brighton as well as commissions from the Liverpool Biennial, Roman Thomas Interiors New York and consultant to Turner Prize winners, Assemble.

My most recent work explores a much more personal history, in particular, my influences during childhood and teenage years. I’m researching into queer people that I first discovered when I was working out who I was and what I would like to become. Artists like Derek Jarman and Angus Suttie were fundamental to my artistic and personal journey and still are. They were unashamedly themselves, creating beautiful, political and difficult work at a time when being gay was very problematic within mainstream society and politics. I’m finding this period of time and the people around who were making work against the tide fascinating and a really rich source of inspiration.

I work mainly with stoneware clays using oxides, slips together with watercolours and wax to create richly decorative surfaces that are driven by narratives and telling stories of creativity through adversity.