RENOWNED ceramicist Sue Pryke is joining Bovey Tracey-based craft gallery and education charity MAKE Southwest as an Honorary Fellow.

The influential potter will join the organisation in advocating for craft excellence, education, and opportunities across South West England.

‘I never set out to be a potter,’ said Sue. ‘I just joined a queue. I loved drawing and painting at school and decided to do A-level Art, but it had to be with craft or design, and as part of the course we had to do printmaking or pottery.

“I hadn’t done either of them before – but the queue for the pottery was shorter than printmaking. I thought I'd give it a try, and it’s been my life ever since.’

Her relationship with MAKE Southwest began fifteen years ago when she featured in a Christmas exhibition:

‘It's a fantastic space and representation of makers, and the exhibitions have always been so carefully curated. I'm delighted to be an Honorary Fellow – it's so exciting to be part of MAKE Southwest,’ she added.

Sue utilises an industrial method of making – slipcasting – to produce elegant, pared back pottery in a craft context. Her focus is on small batch production, making tableware for individuals, galleries, independent retailers, and restaurants.

A minimal aesthetic with precise finish is Pryke’s trademark, and can be traced back to an early introduction to pottery in the Lincolnshire fens where she learnt the skills of production throwing.

It was this repetitive process that sparked an interest in volume production and a need for uniformity that led her onto a role as a junior designer at Wedgwood and later began a 25-year collaboration with Swedish giant, IKEA, designing recognisable household classics.

She joins the craft education charity at a pivotal moment, as the organisation celebrates 70 years of making in 2025, as well as embarking on their ‘Reviving Riverside’ project, thanks to The National Lottery Heritage Fund, which will see vital repairs made to the Grade II listed Riverside Mill that MAKE Southwest calls home.