Following his recent commission with Studio Pottery London for the newly refurbished suites at The Dorchester, acclaimed potter Michel François will showcase a new series of sculptural pieces, inspired by his works for the iconic hotel, at Studio Pottery London in May 2024. Coinciding with London Craft Week 2024, Michel will also be co-hosting demonstrations that show his approach to hand-thrown pottery and his unique glazing techniques, as well as releasing a capsule collection of new ceramic pieces will retail exclusively through studio-pottery-london.com.

Based in Falmouth, Cornwall, potter Michel François established his eponymous studio in 2003 specialising in ancient ceramic techniques, hand crafting sculptural porcelain vessels finished with naturally derived glazes, inspired in part by ancient Chinese ware. Using Feldspar and Cornish stone with ash from local trees including chestnut, ash and beech, Michel carefully creates glazes in his studio by hand which create unique finishes when fired. By starving the kiln of oxygen, Michel draws minerals and oxides from inside the clay to the surface where they react with the ash glaze, combining to act as micro-prisms that filter and reflect light. This intricate process ensures that each piece Michel creates is a complete one-off, and what drew Lucy Attwood, Director of Studio Pottery London, to collaborate with Michel to create a series of bespoke pieces for The Dorchester Hotel celebrating ancient craft meeting timeless form.

Now, for a special showcase to coincide with London Craft Week 2024, Michel will display a new series of elegant Palace Jars, Royal Jars, Swan vases and Moon Jars dressed in an array of his unique glazes, each that have been inspired by the works created for The Dorchester. Colours range from soft blue white celadons to deep amber blacks, cascading jade greens and flambee plumb reds to showcase the breadth of Michel’s work with natural glazes. Alongside, Michel will host a series of demonstrations on the making of the iconic large Moonjar which is currently on display at The British Museum.

Michel’s works will be on display in the windows and in-studio at Studio Pottery London throughout May 2024.

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