Featured Maker: Tamika Loftie-Eaton and Lauren Tearle

13th September - 29th October, Retail Gallery

We are delighted to present this year’s winners of the Plymouth University Designer Maker Award: Tamika Loftie-Eaton and Lauren Tearle.

Speaking of her practice, Lauren says:

“I am a passionate maker who creates ceramic objects for one-off or small-batch production. My interest lies in the possibilities of colour, texture and organic forms and this can be seen in my recent works Coral Vessels and Connection.

After leaving school I studied at the University for the Creative Arts, where I first worked with clay using hand-building techniques. The passion for making that I discovered there led me to join the 3D Design course at the University of Plymouth, where I continued to develop and explore further skills and techniques.

Coral Vessels was a project that I first started at college and have recently developed in my final stages at university. After discovering that Forbes scientists estimate that in the next twenty years seventy to ninety percent of all coral reefs will disappear, I was inspired to create a range of organic vessels that expressed the beauty of the reefs. Each piece in the collection is unique, hand-built and finished with a reactive, peeling glaze.

Connection is a slip cast set of nine serving dishes that I developed after research revealed that the more often people eat with others, the more likely they are to feel happy and satisfied with their lives. The set has been designed with the sensory experience in mind, to bring people together and increase happiness. The organic stacking design encourages people to interact with the plates and each other.”

‘Protea’ Chair and Stool maker Tamika says:

“I am a multi-disciplinary designer-maker. I love to use colour and texture in my designs as I find they are great tools for enhancing certain details on my objects. My making and designing process is based on experimenting and combining multiple techniques and materials. The act of combining materials into one piece is a way for me to create a narrative and draw people’s attention to topics I am passionate about. I use the inspiration I find from nature, my environment, and the people around me to tackle social issues, which I have encountered, and help bring awareness to them. My skill set includes working with ceramics, wood, textiles and exploring the possibilities of merging them. I aim to open my own studio so I can develop my designs as well as collaborate with other creatives across multiple disciplines.”

Considering a career in 3D Design? Learn more about BA (Hons) Product and Furniture Design - University of Plymouth