Contemporary Ceramics by Peter Biddulph
Contemporary Ceramics
The ceramics studio practice of Peter Biddulph. Peter is the recipient of several awards internationally for his ceramics including one for a tripod sake set in the 9th International Ceramics Festival, Mino, Japan in 2011. The same year he was invited to exhibit in the London Design Festival and in exhibitions in Spain, Japan and Australia. He has had articles and images of work published in ceramics journals in the UK, the US, India, Canada, Iran and Australia. A selection of sculpture is published in the book Porcelain by Vivienne-Foley in November 2014. This site www.ceramicdesign.org has been online continuously since 2006.
On the BEAM Solo Exhibition 2024
On the BEAM showcases the broad range of forms and surface textures which may be achieved on the wheel, sometimes incorporating hand building techniques - Comsat, for example, consists of two halves joined together at a later stage. The exhibition features works created using a sandy stoneware clay or fine white porcelain with some new, original glazes. All works were high fired to 1280°C.
Fluid Solo Exhibition 2023
Fluid presents a development of forms thrown on the wheel then altered while still in a very plastic state. The exhibition features wheel thrown, hand built and slip cast works created using coarse dark stoneware clays or fine white porcelain.
Surface treatments of brush work, engobe and glaze layering, body fluxing and carbon trapping are integrated with the form to create an integral whole. The series Sea of Clouds utilises the fluidity of both form and glaze to create an impression of sky viewed from above the cloud cover.
The works made of coarse iron-rich clays were gas reduction fired to achieve the various surface finishes. While they may be enjoyed purely as sculpture, all works were high fired to 1280°C - 1300°C and are thus functional and watertight.
Drift Solo Exhibition 2022
The exhibition Drift features a new collection of porcelain and coarse black stoneware.
In this work I have further explored form using some experimental techniques to discover what may be possible during and post construction.
The collection features a variety of surfaces, some iridescent, some deeply textured, achieved through experimentation with new techniques and surface finishes, and introduces some recently developed matte macro crystalline glazes.
All work is high fired and thus watertight.
Flow Solo Exhibition 2021
The exhibition Flow presents a development of forms thrown on the wheel then altered as the porcelain is still in a very plastic state. The form of a trumpet is altered to create two or three lobes reminiscent of the shape of a flower or leaf.
The exhibition also features hand built vessels, Iceberg, carved from solid blocks of porcelain. These works consist of deeply textured surfaces and forms often with a spiral twist. They were gas reduction fired to achieve this ice blue qingbai glaze. All works were high fired to 1280°C - 1300°C and are thus watertight.
Wind on Water Solo Exhibition 2020
The exhibition Wind on Water featured new porcelains and unglazed black and custom blended stoneware vessels with deeply textured surfaces, which appear to have been formed through meteorological, seismological or other natural processes. In this body of work I have endeavoured to emulate not only the appearance of natural formations, but also through several experimental ceramic processes, the ways in which the forces of energy on matter create such surfaces; hence the title Wind on Water. The roughly textured surfaces are achieved through cutting and stretching the clay or applying slip prior to or during the throwing on the wheel. The work is complete once the wheel has stopped; there is no carving or other manipulation of the surface after the work has been thrown. Thus the surface texture develops as part of the throwing process.
All works are high fired to 1300°C, which makes them watertight and thus suitable for holding liquids.
Porcelain with Teal Glaze
The teal glaze is a high gloss, blue green glaze fired to 1300°C. The glaze exhibits exceptional tonal variation appearing pale on areas of relief and pooling in the hollows to create a deeper tone. The glaze clearly delineates even very fine relief of 1mm or less. I have created a number of works with textured surfaces to utilise this tonal effect.
Wheel Thrown
The wheel thrown works are created from one piece of porcelain. Many of the vessels are double walled while some are closed forms with the opening cut out before drying.
Surface to Air Solo Exhibition 2019
This exhibition featured new works in porcelain glazed with an aurora blue matte crystalline glaze or a teal glaze.
Wheel Thrown
All works are wheel thrown from one piece of porcelain, except for the Ikebana vase, which is slip cast. Many of the vessels are double walled while some are closed forms with the opening cut out before drying, often to create a vessel suitable as a soliflore vase..
Aurora Glaze
The glaze is a satin matte crystalline glaze pooling in the base to a black glass in which green, blue and violet crystals grow as the glass is molten during the firing. The walls are a pale turquoise with a subtle sparkling silver sheen and violet and azure crystals. The colour of the glaze is quite variable sometimes exhibiting blue, green, purple and ochre tones depending on the thickness of application, the shape of the form and the firing conditions, as can be seen on these pieces
Moreton Bay Region Art Awards 2019
Winner for category 3D Works
Judge's comments:
"The two pieces that comprise this work are technically exquisite. They are poised and elegant, their forms strike a perfect balance between function and abstraction."
Double Walled Vessels
The vessels were thrown from one piece of clay. The exterior is unglazed and the variation in colour results from firing in reduction in a gas kiln. Vessel 4 (on the right) shows the strongest reduction and is the darkest.The interior is glazed so the pieces hold water. While they may be enjoyed purely as sculptural objects, they can be used as vases.
Ikebana Vases
Many of the vessels featured on this site lend themselves well for use with a form of Japanese flower arranging known as ikebana. This deeply textured spherical vase has been selected by an ikebana teacher to harmonise with the natural elements of the arrangement. In this example the colour and texture of the driftwood complement the texture and glaze of the vessel.
Mesa Series
Acquired for Permanent Collection of Art
A selection of the Mesa Bowls and Cups together with the Hybrid Flasks and Cups were acquired by Townsville City Council in May 2016 for its permanent collection of art. View the full catalogue of the 2016 North Queensland Ceramic Awards. My work is on pages 15 and 17.
The Mesa Bowls and Cups were also selected for exhibition as part of the Mayo Festival in May 2016. View the full catalogue of the Mayo Festival. My work is on page 31.
Tsuki-yo Tableware
Tsuki-yo is a series of tableware made of translucent Southern Ice porcelain begun in 2014. The porcelain is thrown or cast very finely and fired to 1280°C in oxidation.
月夜 tsuki-yo Glaze - Moonlit Night
The colour was Inspired by a blue/black ink named 'tsuki-yo'. The glaze is a high gloss mirror black which often forms a transparent pale blue halo on the rim revealing the whiteness of the Southern Ice porcelain beneath. In bright light a brilliant azure blue appears in the depths of the black glaze.
'Best of Show' Award
April 2013: Winner ’Best of Show’ award in The Rotary Art Spectacular, The Riverside Centre, Brisbane.
"It is rare that a small sake set can wrestle attention away from some 460 pieces of art, but Peter Biddulph’s perfectly formed work did just that at this year’s Rotary Art Spectacular."
The judges for the 2013 Spectacular were Helen Grant (Editor, Australian Artist Magazine), Maureen Hansen (Professional Artist/Curator & Director, Wesley Hospital Collection), and Michael Wardel (Coordinator, Logan Art Gallery).
Porcelain Sake Set 2012
Since 2008 Peter has been using Southern Ice porcelain for its qualities of translucency and whiteness in the construction of vessels for serving sake 'tokkuri' and for drinking sake 'guinomi'. This translucent Southern Ice porcelain sake set created in 2012 consists of a flask, Arc, and three cups, Orbit, Wave and Cone. They are slip cast and glazed with ice blue Qingbai or other tinted transparent glazes. The exterior surface is unglazed and hand polished to create a smooth tactile surface with a slight sheen. The set is also available in a dark metallic tenmoku glaze.
Tripod Guinomi 2011
This Tripod Sake Set is based on the form of the tripod. The Southern Ice porcelain is sometimes mixed with oxides to create an organic, textured surface.
Created using 3D digital modelling and rapid prototyping the Tripod sake set received an award in the prestigious 9th International Competition of Ceramics Mino, Japan in 2011. The works were also selected for exhibition in the London Design Festival and for the 10th International Biennial Of Ceramics Manises, Spain in the same year.
