Dumfries and Galloway potters Doug Fitch and Hannah McAndrew, partners in life and work, have recently received the great honour of having two pieces of their work purchased by the Victoria and Albert Museum, London for their permanent collection.
As the V&A’s website states, the ‘V&A’s Ceramics collections are unrivalled anywhere in the world. Encyclopaedic and global in scope, they encompass the history of fine ceramic production from about 2500 BC to the present day.’
Doug and Hannah make slipware pottery in their workshop in Galloway, southwest Scotland. Their works are a recognition and celebration of the extraordinary, intuitively skilled makers of the ancient British folk heritage of country pottery. Although drawing great influence from this historical pottery, their work isn’t simply pastiche but is a contemporary reinterpretation made with their own voices.
The journey of the pot is important to Doug and Hannah, from the clay on the wheel and the texture of slip while decorating, to the challenges of the kiln. For them, clay and slipware are the unwavering obsession that brought them together and their dedication to this specific aspect of the craft, continues to shape their lives.
As McAndrew states ‘It is our life, our driving force, the very thing we think of from the moment we wake, and it is on our minds as we fall sleep. We are potters, but it isn’t our job, it is our very being.’
‘We share the same influences, processes and materials, and, in common with our lives, a wonderful cohesion is apparent, however, despite these common factors, we are both able to maintain our individuality.’
‘The phenomenal ceramics collection at the V&A has been inspirational to us both over our years of learning. For two of our own pots to be joining that collection of exquisite work is something we would never have dared dream of. We are honoured and still somewhat stunned.’
The large, applique jug by Doug and Sextant Poppy charger by Hannah will also be included in an exhibition at the museum from the end of October this year.
