In conversation with Lydia Hardwick, ceramicist
For my second interview with a person who also has a thing with ceramics, meet Lydia Hardwick, a ceramicist based in Cumbria. I have been a fan of Lydia’s gorgeous work for a long time now - my memory is we met briefly once at a ceramics market in London a good few years ago and that prompted me to follow her on Instagram.
Lydia answers my who, why, when, where, what questions that make up these interviews. I love how she talks about making a bowl at primary school, I too remember ‘Clay Club’ and making a piece using fragments of glass, my parents still have it I believe! Please have a read, you can see more of Lydia’s beautiful work on her website.
Lydia Hardwick
Who - are you?
I’m Lydia and I make things from clay. I relocated to Cumbria a year ago, but I grew up in Essex and spent much of my adult life living in London. I graduated from the Royal College of Art in 2013, and although I’ve always maintained my ceramic practice, I also worked for many years as a freelance artist educator for various museums and galleries. Selling my ceramics has been my main source of income for the past 5 years.
Why - do you also have a thing with ceramics?
As a child, making things was a source of great comfort to me. On reflection I think my young bodymind was seeking ritual and creative connection. This preoccupation led me to enrolling at art college. Back in 2008 when I was studying for a degree in sculpture, I had the opportunity to undertake an ‘elective’ in another subject for a month. I chose to spend my time in the ceramics department. The alchemy of clay totally absorbed me. I switched course and never looked back.
Inlaid serving dish (it goes perfectly with my website)
When - did ceramics come into your life?
When I was 5 years old I made a very small stoneware bowl at school. It had cut-out terracotta sea creatures attached to the outside. We sprinkled fragments of glass into the bottom of the bowl, which melted into a crazed green pool once fired in the kiln. It was returned to me after firing, and I vividly remember being absolutely gobsmacked at how this object had transformed. I’m not sure that I touched clay again until I went to art college, but clearly something was activated deep in my psyche that day!
A beautiful collection of Lydia’s work
Where can we find you on a typical day?
My son has just turned three years old. We spend our weekdays together, enjoying the fells, rivers and woodlands of Cumbria. We have been lucky to meet some wonderful friends since moving here and we’ve become part of some special communities that are deeply connected to the land and seasons. Currently, my work in the studio is fitted into evenings and weekends. Balancing our time in a way that meets our family’s needs (financially, creatively, developmentally) can be challenging, but I feel very grateful that we are able to have some flexibility.
What are your plans for the future?
Spending time immersed in nature has naturally filtered down into my work - the aesthetics that I’m drawn to, the way that I see materials. I’ve started including figurative elements in my work, relating to the skies and the land. In the future I’m considering integrating imagery related to folk tales into my surface decoration. I’m curious about how archetypes and universal patterns within such stories secretly communicate ways of solving psycho-spiritual problems.
Inlaid terracotta tiles - some of Lydia’s more recent work
Inlaid terracotta pot - some of Lydia’s more recent work
Which of these is your favourite? I find it hard to choose!
I hope Lydia’s thoughtful answers to my questions have inspired you, I certainly feel inspired by her approach! Lydia is available for commissions and collaborations, with most of her work currently being made-to-order. You can sign up to her newsletter for updates on new work.
