Clive Bowen was born in Cardiff and studied painting at Cardiff College of Art. In 1965 he joined Michael Leach as an apprentice, later joining Michael Cardew at Wenford Bridge in 1970. He established his own pottery in Devon in 1971. Bowen uses red earthenware for his pots which range from large storage jars to smaller domestic items. In the tradition of English slipware, he decorates his work with contrasting slips that are trailed and combed, and incorporate sgraffito techniques that give his pieces energy and confidence.

Glossary

  • Earthenware

    One of the three major types of pottery, the others being stoneware and porcelain. It is opaque, soft and porous unless covered completely with glaze. The firing temperatures can be low - 800ºC or high - 1200ºC, when it starts to vitrify, becoming stoneware.

  • Painting

    Work of art made with paint on a surface. Often the surface, also called a support, is a tightly stretched piece of canvas, paper or a wooden panel. Painting involves a wide range of techniques and materials, along with the artist's intellectual concerns effecting the content of a work.