Portland Ribbons by Alice Walton Acquired by the V&A Museum

QEST Carole Bamford Scholar and ceramicist Alice Walton has announced that her work, Portland Ribbons, has been acquired by the V&A for the V&A Wedgwood Collection. Here she tells us about the making of the piece and what it means to have work in the prestigious collection.

“At the British Ceramic Biennale in 2019 I was awarded the ‘Fresh, Wedgwood Prize’. Part of this prize was to carry out a ceramics residency with Wedgwood and to exhibit new work created at the 2021 British Ceramics Biennale and within the V&A Wedgwood Collection in Stoke-on-Trent. During this incredible time with Wedgwood I was able to work within the design studio alongside their talented craftsmen looking out over their factory floor. I visited their case mould stores and looked through archives dating back to the 1800s. A truly memorable period of research which will stay with me throughout my career.

One of the pieces I created during my time with Wedgwood combined my recognisable ‘ribboning’ technique with Wedgwood’s most iconic designs: The Portland Vase, to create a new decorative vessel which I named Portland Ribbons. The new vessel varies in colour over it’s form as I have turned three of Wedgwood’s Jasper clay colours into a variety of over 20 new tones with careful mixing and placing of individual strands of hand-pressed clay.

I am thrilled to announce that Portland Ribbons has been purchased for the V&A Wedgwood Collection and will be available for visitors to continue to see and enjoy. This means so much to me and my practice as I have always visited the V&A’s remarkable collection, and it is such an honour to have work amongst the great pieces within it.”

Alice is currently preparing for a new solo show at 4 Cromwell Place, London with Ting Ying Gallery (28 February – 11 March). She will be showing a range of plinth standing sculptures and wall hanging pieces.

Photo credits: Mark Robson