New raku and stoneware from Alistair Wilshaw

We have some stunning new pieces from Alistair Wilshaw. Based in Foxhole near Bodmin. Cornwall is both painter and potter. His work is rooted in the meeting point between restraint and ruggedness—where the pared-back elegance of Japanese aesthetics encounters the raw, weathered spirit of Cornwall’s Clay Country.

These large stoneware vases are very on trend and are a popular choice for creating statement pieces, perfect for displaying pampas grass and branches. Buncheong ware was originally produced in Korea in the 14th - 16th centuries and is characterised by its rustic, artistic and expressive decoration.

Sroneware slab built buncheong vase (260 x 200 x80 mm)

Stoneware vase with iron slip decoration (284 x 203 x 96 mm)

The non-functional forms he creates are intentionally modest, often irregular, drawing on the Japanese principles of wabi-sabi—the beauty of imperfection, transience, and the handmade. Cracks, runs, and surface scars are embraced rather than concealed, allowing each piece to speak of process, fire, and the unpredictable hand of nature.

At the same time, the earthy palette and textures echo the industrial landscape of Cornwall’s China clay pits: stripped hillsides, rusted machinery, and white dusted ground.

The raku firing process that forms part of his process deepens this connection. It introduces spontaneity and chaos, letting smoke, flame, and thermal shock leave their mark. Each pot emerges singular—like a relic unearthed—holding both the precision of intent and the freedom of accident. The Great Pottery Throwdown programme has helped people to appreciate the skill and jeopardy involved in this ancient process.

Raku bowl (95x147 mm)

Bottle form (337 x 80 mm)

Alisttair wants his work to feel both ancient and current, fragile yet grounded—a stillness forged in fire, reflecting both the inward poetry of Japanese tradition and the stark, tactile realism of Cornwall’s clay landscape.