Pauline captures the shifting stages of women's life experiences in her depictions, commenting on womens changing roles in society.
Pauline Cumming, a talented Edinburgh-based artist, studied Drawing and Painting at Edinburgh College of Art under the guidance of renowned artists Elizabeth Blackadder and John Houston. After graduating in 1985, she embarked on an international journey, living in southern England before moving to the Netherlands and later Turkey, where she pursued a career in education while continuing to develop her artistic practice.
Pauline Cumming's Artistic Journey
Following her extensive teaching career across Turkey, The Netherlands, and Scotland, Pauline now dedicates herself fully to her ceramic practice. Her artistic repertoire spans drawing, painting, printmaking, and small-scale ceramics, with her work drawing inspiration from the natural and domestic world. Everyday objects, collected artefacts, and observations from her travels frequently appear in her creations, reflecting her diverse life experiences and international perspective.
The Distinctive Style and Influences
Her ceramic plates and pots are meticulously hand-built using white earthenware and stoneware, showing clear influences from blue and white 17th century Delftware. Pauline regularly returns to Utrecht to acquire her distinctive palette of Delft blue underglaze, maintaining an authentic connection to the Dutch artistic tradition that inspires her work. Additional influences come from 18th century Sèvres porcelain, creating a rich historical foundation for her contemporary pieces.
Women's Narratives and Exhibition History
Pauline's current work focuses on playful themes of women's experiences and narratives. Her ceramic pieces depict strong women, often inspired by classical paintings, who reach out to viewers while dismissing any male gaze. These feminist themes are presented with humour and poignancy, capturing the shifting stages of women's life experiences from motherhood to menopause and beyond.
After years of professional restraint as a deputy headteacher, she now embraces the freedom to express herself authentically through her art. Her hand-built ceramics are available for sale through select galleries including Graystone Gallery, where collectors can buy pieces that combine historical craftsmanship with contemporary feminist storytelling.
Buy Pauline Cumming Ceramics
Pauline's work bridges centuries of ceramic tradition with distinctly modern themes, creating pieces that are both visually striking and narratively rich. Each hand-built plate and pot carries the marks of the maker's hand, connecting contemporary viewers to ancient craft traditions while addressing themes that resonate with today's audiences. The distinctive Delft blue palette and historical influences give her work a timeless quality, whilst the feminist narratives and playful approach keep it firmly rooted in contemporary discourse.
Frequently Asked Questions About Pauline Cumming
What style of ceramics does Pauline Cumming create?
Pauline Cumming creates hand-built ceramic plates and pots using white earthenware and stoneware, drawing clear influences from 17th century Delftware and 18th century Sèvres porcelain. She uses an authentic Delft blue underglaze palette acquired from Utrecht, combining historical ceramic traditions with contemporary feminist themes. Her work depicts strong women inspired by classical paintings, presented with playful humour and poignancy that explores women's life experiences.
Where do Pauline Cumming's ceramics work in interiors?
Pauline's ceramic plates work beautifully displayed on walls in dining rooms, kitchens, or hallways where their blue and white palette and narrative content can be appreciated. The historical references suit both traditional and eclectic interiors, whilst the feminist themes add contemporary relevance. Her pots function as decorative objects on shelves, mantels, or in curated displays where the hand-built quality and craftsmanship can be viewed up close. The pieces bring both visual interest and conversation-starting narratives to any space.
How should you display Pauline Cumming's work?
Display Pauline's ceramic plates on walls using appropriate plate hangers where viewers can appreciate both the visual composition and the narrative content depicting strong female figures. Good lighting enhances the distinctive Delft blue underglaze and reveals the hand-built surface textures. Her pots work best on surfaces where they can be viewed from multiple angles, allowing appreciation of the three-dimensional form. Consider grouping pieces to create a stronger visual impact, or display individually as statement pieces in curated interiors.
What makes Pauline Cumming's ceramics collectible?
Pauline Cumming brings exceptional academic training from Edinburgh College of Art, where she studied under renowned artists Elizabeth Blackadder and John Houston. Her authentic use of traditional Delft blue underglaze sourced directly from Utrecht demonstrates commitment to historical craft techniques. The combination of meticulous hand-building skills, historical influences, and contemporary feminist narratives creates work that bridges tradition and innovation. Artists with strong educational backgrounds who maintain traditional craft methods whilst addressing relevant contemporary themes often develop dedicated collector bases.
What inspired Pauline's focus on women's narratives?
After years as a deputy headteacher, Pauline now embraces the freedom to express herself authentically through her ceramic practice. Her work depicts strong women inspired by classical paintings who reach out to viewers whilst dismissing the male gaze. The feminist themes explore shifting stages of women's experiences from motherhood to menopause and beyond, presented with both humour and poignancy. This focus allows her to combine her love of historical art and ceramics with narratives that resonate with contemporary women's lives.
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