Matthew Foster

Matt Foster studied fine art at Kent University 2004-2006. He went on to work for Joseph Clarke at the Millennium Gallery in St Ives. At the Millennium, he worked alongside a collection of exciting contemporary artists, many of whom are local to the area.

In October 2015, Matt joined the Leach Pottery as the second Seasalt Bursary Apprentice, giving him the opportunity to learn and work alongside a talented and diverse production team where he is now the studios production manager, allowing him to continue to develop his personal work in a diverse and exciting environment.

His main interest is in form, surface and gesture of making, always focused on the pot’s suitability to its function and aiming for his interpretation of the Mingei Philosophy . He is influenced by potters such as Shoji Hamada, Bill Marshall, Warren Mackenzie, John Reeve and the potters in the studio, and is currently looking at peasant stonewares of the Korean Yi dynasty, Gongxian pottery, Tang dynasty Chinese pottery and porcelain pots from the Chinese Sung period.

 “I want to engage with as many people as possible by trying to communicate what I feel, in terms of personal expression in pottery and personality. What I’m trying to do is make work that honestly fulfills the purpose for which it was made and becomes deeply embedded in the life of the people who take it home. I also want the work to look fun and have a personality of its own, hopefully bettering the chance that the user will develop a relationship with it."