Stephen Murfitt

Ceramics

14 Jul

Written By Kim Jones

Works | Enquire | Shop

Stephen Murfitt has been exploring the infinite possibilities of Raku for over forty years. Raku demands a deep engagement with each stage of the process, and Stephen enjoys the way that the pieces absorb and reflect the intense drama of the firing.
Stephen’s influences include visual elements seen in the natural and built environment. The effects of weathering, erosion and decay provide a constant source of reference.
All the work is hand-built, and each piece is unique.
Educated at Cambridge School of Art, West Surrey College of Art & Design (Farnham) and Middlesex Polytechnic (Hornsey College) in the 1970s, Stephen went on to combine teaching Art & Design with making for several years before focusing entirely on the development of his work.
Driven by an obsession with the versatility of clay, Stephen has continued to explore the relationship between form and surface. The tactile experience of handling clay increases awareness and sensitivity to the qualities seen and felt in other materials. The personal visual vocabulary developed is influenced by that acute tactile awareness of form and texture. Weathered and eroded surfaces provide constant sources of reference.
Small groups of related forms are hand-built simultaneously. The slow and contemplative pace of coiling allows for considered developments and refinements to be made. Each stage of construction enables intuitive and selective marks and textures to occur.
Glazing and firing methods are adapted to enhance the form and surface of each piece. This combination of the making, glazing and firing methods results in unique one-off pieces.
Stephen is the author of The Glaze Book (Thames and Hudson 2002) and Contemporary Raku (Crowood Press 2022)