SEJAL PATEL - CERAMICIST

"For as long as I can remember I've always had a love for all things craft. When I was a child I'd always be making something. After school art programmes on TV were my absolute favourite and I’d always try to replicate their makes. As I got older it was clear to me that I wanted to do something creative, I just didn't know what. It wasn’t until my second year at college that things changed and I fell in love with my craft, by accident. (For some strange reason I thought my second year enrolment was a day after everyone else) I went through my enrichment course options where I planned on doing origami, but as I was late to enrol the spaces were filled and I was left with ceramics as my only choice in the creative field. I took my first class not soon after and I was hooked! I guess you could say it was blessing in disguise.

After college I took a year to do a foundation course in Art and Design where I was re-introduced to clay in all its wonderfulness. I then went onto study the applied arts course, Design Crafts, at De Montfort University, where I specalised in ceramics mainly focused on mold making and the slip casting process. I LOVED it! I had the support of an amazing technician who taught me pretty much everything I know about ceramics and nurtured my interest in the craft. Once I graduated in 2014, I wanted to set up at home and start selling my work, but it wasn’t until over a year later I was able to do that. With the help and support of my family members, it was possible for me to buy a kiln and get started! So whilst working part time at various jobs over the years, I was able to experiment and figure out what sort of items I wanted to make.
Anyone who knows me knows I’m a perfectionist, especially when it comes to making, so above everything else I knew I wanted to create high quality pieces. I also wanted to create something which was unique and could be gifted or brought for a range of occasions all year round. I thought the heart being universal was the perfect motif to bring all occasions together. I’m a lover of simple forms and clean, fresh interiors. I’m drawn to pieces which are not overly complicated but have that little something that makes them different from anything else so I decided to create a range that was just that."