19 June - 20 July 2025: Woven Earth by Hannah Sulek

Private View Wednesday 18th June 6-8pm

This summer we welcome Manchester based maker, Hannah Sulek.

In Hannah's own words, "Woven Earth is a tactile tribute to my ancestral lineage of weavers, drawing inspiration from the rhythm, repetition, and resilience embedded the craft of weaving.

Each form is rendered in a palette that echoes the soft, worn tones of the mill environment. Pieces are hand-built, using iron rich clays and a wood ash glaze fired in both gas reduction and oxidation.

This body of work invites reflection on the often-unseen labour of those came before, honouring their hands through the shaping of my own."

We asked Hannah a few questions ahead of her exhibition below;

How did you end up working with clay and what drew you to it as a material?

Clay wasn’t something I had much exposure to growing up. While practicing as a textile artist, I took a small community pottery class, which became the foundation of my handbuilding skills. I was immediately drawn to the similarities between clay and cloth — especially in their tactile nature and potential for intricate detail.

You studied ceramics at Clay College in Stoke-on-Trent. How have you found moving back to Manchester and setting up your practice there?

Clay College was a pivotal chapter for me — not only for technical learning but also for discovering the value of collective creativity. After graduating, I was lucky to be welcomed into Manchester Ceramics Collective, where I share a studio with 12 talented potters. It’s been the perfect place to continue developing my ideas and practice.

What was one of the most memorable things from college that’s influenced how you work today?

Meeting Anne-Mette Hjorthshoj, a Danish potter from Bornholm, was hugely inspiring. Her commitment to using locally sourced clays and slips encouraged me to explore materials from my own surroundings, deepening my connection to place and process.

Tell us in a nutshell about your life before pottery.

Before pottery, I worked across museums, education, visual merchandising, and care work. Looking back, each role contributed useful skills that now support my journey as a potter in unexpected and valuable ways.

How did your background in textiles influence your ceramics? Was it a conscious decision?

Textiles are a huge part of my identity, especially growing up in a Lancashire village shaped by its industrial past. As a demonstrator of heritage textile machinery, I was immersed in visual details — from loom heddles to oil cans — which now inform the surfaces and forms in my ceramic work.

You use handbuilding in your ceramics — what draws you to this technique?

Handbuilding has always felt the most intuitive. Although I trained on the wheel, I’m naturally drawn to 2D surfaces. The slower pace allows me to incorporate mark-making and surface patterning, echoing techniques from my textile background like printing and pattern cutting.

What is your favourite part of the process?

There’s a moment after inlaying slip into stamped clay and scraping it back — I then stretch the surface with a rolling pin. This action introduces movement and fluidity, transforming a static surface into something dynamic.

Who is a maker you admire that we should know about?

Kirsten Sloth, a Danish post-war ceramicist, continues to inspire me. Her work is
defined by meticulous surface detail and striking striped lidded vessels — they’re
quietly powerful pieces.

What sights influence your work regularly?

I’ve spent a lot of time in heritage buildings, and their worn, softened industrial surfaces stay with me. Oil-soaked floorboards, scattered cotton fibres, and limewashed walls with resting machine parts — this visual palette is deeply ingrained in my practice.

Favourite places in Manchester for inspiration?

The Whitworth Gallery is a favourite. Its collection of art, textiles, and wallpapers is incredibly rich and always sparks new ideas.

What’s the most recent ceramic piece you bought for yourself?

I recently bought a mug by Tim Lake at the Craft Festival in Bovey Tracey. I’ve always admired his surface work, and it was lovely to connect with him in person and share our appreciation for texture and subtlety.