About

Chris Hawkins is a British studio potter specialising in hand-thrown raku ceramics, with a particular focus on the copper matt and copper fuming processes. Born in Plymouth in 1957, Chris has been producing ceramics since leaving art college in 1976. After many years working with stoneware and earthenware, a shift towards raku ceramics around three decades ago marked a defining point in his practice.

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The immediacy of the raku copper fuming process plays a central role in the work. Each piece seeks a balance between tightly controlled, wheel-thrown form and the vibrant unpredictability created by the firing and fuming process. This interaction between intention and chance gives rise to distinctive ceramic surfaces that are shaped as much by fire and atmosphere as by the maker’s hand.

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Chris works from a studio set within six acres of largely untouched woodland in the Tamar Valley, on the border between Devon and Cornwall in the South West of the UK. The landscape includes water meadows, ponds, and mature woodland, creating a rich habitat for wildlife and a constant source of inspiration. The studio sits along the banks of the River Tamar, within a steep-sided valley known for both its natural beauty and industrial past.

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The Tamar Valley is recognised as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and contains areas designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest. It also forms part of the UNESCO-listed Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape. This deep mining heritage has a direct connection to the work: the studio lies within 100 metres of a historic adit from Ding Dong mine, where minerals similar to those used in Chris’s glazes were once extracted.

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Drawing on decades of experience, a strong sense of place, and the raw energy of the raku process, Chris Hawkins creates ceramic work that reflects the landscape, materials, and history of the Tamar Valley.