Press moulded square bottle vase. 2022
 

White clay pilgrim flask. 2022
 

Biography

Born in London, Ray Toms was brought up in Cornwall, one of the sources of his inspiration. He is mostly self-taught, although he credits mastering the basic skills to a much admired local tutor. He also trained at West Herts College. His pots are made from high-fired stoneware from clay sourced from St. Agnes in Cornwall. The glazes are mostly made by using locally sourced ash from different types of wood to create a variety of colours, and the slips are made mainly from porcelain. Toms' ceramics draw their influence from the Anglo-Japanese tradition. The deeply fluid textured surfaces of his pots, reflect the rugged drama of the Cornish landscape and moving water of his youth, interpreted in a contemporary way.