Niek Hoogland

Niek completed a 10-week residency at the Leach Pottery in summer 2023, exploring the intersection of functional and ornamental pots, layering these ideas in his slipware work.

Niek grew up in the Netherlands in a region with a long tradition of slipware making – his initial training began with one of the last traditional slipware potters in his local town.

“Slipware ceramics have a tradition of passing on, telling stories, embellishing everyday life and celebrating and commemorating occasions.

Traditions are important for passing on cultural heritage, but they can also narrow the view. To keep traditions alive, they must be able to open up to outside influences.”

He went on to complete an apprenticeship with Joop Crompvoets at Pottenbakkerij De Walsberg, Swalmen, Netherlands. Here he learnt about Bernard Leach and the studio pottery tradition.

“A Potter’s Book didn’t have a big impact on me when I first read it. It was when I started to come over to the UK to take part in ceramics fairs at Rufford and Hatfield that I started to understand the impact Leach and Hamada, through the publication of this book and what grew from that, have had on the world of ceramics and the community of ceramic makers.”