Hannah Blackall-Smith is a, largely self taught, English potter now living and making in Copenhagen. Since moving to the city in 2017 she has assisted local ceramicist Tasja Pulawska and now Hannah runs her own studio Blacksmith Ceramics in Copenhagen.
Inspiration for a warmly rustic, yet minimal, aesthetic comes from a range of places; scandinavian design principles yet also historic pottery shapes from ancient civilisations and late 20th century studio pottery from the UK.
Hannah is completely wedded to the wheel above all other ceramic techniques and adds a fluted texture to many of her pieces. This is applied mid way through throwing when the clay is at its wettest stage and captures the momentum of the wheel in the gently twisted fluting.
Creating visible traces and irregularities of the hand making process in her work is a form of communication with the piece’s final owner. These pots have lived several lives before they are even used: on the wheel, in the kiln and (in the case of the smoke fired pieces) in the fire. Each early stage of the pot’s ‘life’ leaves an indelible mark on its surface that will be there in perpetuity.
