Charlie Waite
Lidded Bowen Jar
Clive Bowen produces slip decorated earthenware pots of very high quality and masterful design. In 1965 he joined Michael Leach as an apprentice at Yelland Pottery and stayed there for five years. He set up his own pottery at Shebbear, North Devon in 1971 and makes brown glazed earthenware similar to the traditional pottery that has been made in that area for centuries. Clive never signs his pots, preferring to identify with the ‘anonymous craftsmen’ of the past who created beautiful objects that gently enhanced the lives of their users without being ostentatious.
This integration of pottery and family life is something which is evident at Shebbear Pottery where human lives and pottery co-exist happily. Clive was greatly influenced by Bernard Leach, who aligned the artistry of pottery with Japanese Zen mastery. Clive's work has been exhibited widely both at home and abroad, he is regarded as Britain's finest slip decorator and has had a one-man exhibition at Tate St Ives.
