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Hanssen Pigott, Gwyn

Born at Ballarat, Victoria, Australia in 1935. Died in London 2013.

Hanssen Pigott Studied Fine Art at Melbourne University before becoming apprenticed to Ivan Mckeekin, the pioneer Australian studio potter.

In 1958 she travelled to Britain to work with a number of potters including Ray Finch at the Winchcombe Pottery, Katherine Playdell-Bouverie, then working at the Leach Pottery in St Ives, and Michael Cardew. In 1960 she set up a workshop in Notting Hill in London with her husband Louis Hanssen, producing tableware for Liberty’s, Heals and Primavera, the noted craft and design shop. She also attended classes taught by Lucie Rie at Camberwell School of Art.

In 1966, following the end of her marriage, she established a pottery in Achères in the Loire valley where she remained making stoneware and porcelain tableware until 1973. She returned to Australia in 1974 to set up a new pottery in Tasmania, marrying her assistant John Pigott after two years.

In the 1980s Hanssen Pigott’s work had evolved into refined, translucent vessels, often presented of groups of vessels, inspired by the still life paintings of Morandi, several of these calm and beautiful assemblages were exhibited at Tate St. Ives in 2004.

In addition to frequent shows in Britain and Australia, solo exhibitions of her work have been mounted in the USA, Germany, Canada, Switzerland, Japan and Italy.


Mug
Shallow Bowl
Bowl