This exhibition from 24th April to 6th June brings together a compelling group of artists whose practices explore the expressive and tactile possibilities of clay, paint, and material form.
Spanning generations and disciplines, the show celebrates both tradition and innovation, revealing how contemporary makers reinterpret historical influences through deeply personal approaches.
At its centre is Tom Wood, a significant figure in British art whose career spans decades of teaching, exhibiting, and institution-building. From early involvement with printmaking in West Yorkshire to major exhibitions and international recognition, Wood’s work is held in prestigious collections including the Yale Center for British Art and the National Portrait Gallery. His contribution anchors the exhibition in a rich legacy of artistic practice and cultural engagement.
Adele Howitt, Director of Studio Eleven, merges ceramic practice with architectural and public art. Inspired by natural patterns, post-industrial landscapes, and cultural identity, her work evokes a poetic sense of place. Combining traditional techniques with contemporary design, she creates pieces that are both tactile and atmospheric, reflecting clay’s enduring relevance as a sustainable and expressive medium. Work can be found in international and local collections.
Alongside this, the work of Charles Brown explores the immediacy of clay, embracing the marks of the maker and the spontaneity of process. Drawing on medieval and post-medieval English pottery traditions, his pieces are both grounded and vital—rooted in history yet alive with contemporary energy.
Romanian born, Cosmin Ciofirdel brings a meditative approach to ceramics, creating forms that balance structure with intuition. His work reflects a search for harmony between opposing qualities—weight and lightness, strength and fragility—inviting viewers into a quiet, contemplative dialogue with material.
Finally, Brian Holland creates figures and groups, alongside the making of vessels. These vessels have been formed using a range of techniques, including coiling, slab-building, and throwing. They have often been wood-fired in anagama kilns, as well as fired in electric kilns, with some pieces produced using the Raku process.
Together, these artists present a rich and varied exploration of ceramics and material practice—where history, landscape, and human touch converge in objects that are at once timeless and distinctly contemporary.
About Studio Eleven
Studio Eleven is an established studio and gallery which has grown out of a creative practice that has responded positively to the post-industrial site that is the historic Fruit Market in Hull. Since 2009, we have provided an important service to artists, and continue to enthuse the community to get involved through open workshops and free inspiring exhibitions.
Lead by designer / maker, Adele Howitt, Studio Eleven is a not-for-profit organisation. We provide creative activity, membership access to the workshop, open days, 5-day gallery opening for exhibitions, and a workshop programme. We are the only gallery in Hull to provide a selling platform for local and regional contemporary studio ceramics, and painting.