John Jelfs has been making pots full-time since leaving Cheltenham Art School in 1971. He has consistently been inspired by his love of the simple peasant pottery of fifteenth century Korea; and also the work of the twentieth century Japanese potter Shoji Hamada. John is one of the leading exponents today of the British Oriental stoneware tradition started by Bernard Leach between the Wars.
His main concern is form; decoration is minimal and his pots are never busy.
All John’s pots are thrown – and sometimes altered – on the wheel. He mainly uses tenmoku and celadon ash glazes, which he makes using materials local to his studio in Gloucestershire. Some pots are also fired in a specially built soda kiln.
