DIANE GRIFFIN - CERAMICIST

Born and raised in London, I graduated with Ceramics B.A.Hons in 1988 and have worked in ceramics ever since. I have many years of teaching experience but committed full time to my artistic practice in 2015 and now work from my studio in Northamptonshire.

The inspiration for my vases stems from a trip to Jerusalem many years ago. I visited the Wailing Wall and was intrigued by the thousands of wishes and prayers written on paper and crammed between the stones in the wall. I was inspired by the collective focus for so many peoples' hopes and wishes at this ancient site and their interaction with it.

My paper-like scroll vases feature scripts from letters exchanged by my grandparents during the war in 1944 and music score excerpts from Bizet’s Carmen, which was my favourite opera as a teenager. The designs are layered to evoke the idea of personal stories and emotions building up over time and merging into one.