David Roberts Personal Information

  • 1947
    • David Roberts born in Sheffield.
  • 1966-70
    • David Roberts introduced to ceramics during education degree studies at Bretton Hall College.
  • 1970-81
    • Full time art teaching in secondary schools. Increasingly concerned with making pots, initially in stoneware, changed to Raku in the late seventies.
  • 1981
    • Ceased full time teaching to concentrate on making pots.
    • Received Yorkshire Arts Association Travel Award which funded a visit to the USA.
  • 1983
    • Awarded a three week residency at Art Park, Lewiston, New York, USA.
  • 1984
    • Elected council member of Craft Potters Association.
  • 1985-88
    • Chair of Craft Potters Association.
  • 1986
    • Invited onto Crafts Council Selected index.
  • 1993
    • Member of Crafts Council Setting up Grants Committee.
  • 1994
    • Selected as Full Exhibiting Member of Contemporary Applied Arts, London.
  • 2000
    • Elected as member of The International Academy of Ceramics

David Roberts Exhibitions

  • 2010
    • Clay Energy, Gulong, NSW, Australia
  • 2009
    • Solo show, Hart Gallery, London
    • Solo show, Blackwell House, Bowness-on-Wiindermere, Cumbria, UK
    • Collect, with Scottish Gallery, Saatchi Gallery, Kings Road, London, UK
    • Maiden Bridge Arts Centre, Tatham, Lancaster, UK
    • Residency workshop, International Ceramics Studio, Kecskemet, Hungary
  • 2008
    • Collect, with Scottish Gallery, Victorisa and Albert Museum, London, UK
    • Bluecoat Display Centre, Liverpool, UK
    • Maiden Bridge Arts Centre, Tatham, Lancaster, UK
    • National Council on Education for the Ceramics Arts (MCECA) Pittsburgh, PA, USA
    • CONCRETAMENTE, Palazzo, Venezia, ROme, Italy
  • 2007
    • Solo show, Hart Gallery, London
    • Collect, with Scottish Gallery, Victorisa and Albert Museum, London, UK
    • Anagama Gallery, St Germain en Laye, France
    • Solo show, The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh, UK
    • Maiden Bridge Arts Centre, Tatham, Lancaster, UK
  • 2006
    • Terra Viva Gallery, Provence, France
    • Gallery Puls, Brussels, Belgium
  • 2004
    • Solo show, Hart Gallery, London
    • SOFA, Chicago, USA
    • Master and Pupil, CLay, LA, USA
    • Le Decor du Trait...au Sens, Musee Palissy, St Avit, France
    • IAC exhibition, Icheon World Ceramics Centre, Korea
  • 2002
    • Masterpieces, Turin, Italy
    • SOFA, Chicago, USA
    • Internatinal Academy of Ceramics (IAC), Athens, Greece
    • 2 Person show (with Richard Devereux), Maltby Fine Art, Winchester, UK
  • 2001
    • 2 Person show (with Merete Larsen), Carlin Gallery, Paris, France
    • Invited artist, Parcours de Ceramiques, Carouge, Geneva, Switzerland
    • Sculptural Objects and Functional Art Fair (SOFA), Chicago, USA
    • 1st Worl Ceramics Bienalle, Icheon Wold Ceramics Centre, Korea
  • 2000
    • Sofa - Chicago, U.S.A
    • Solo Exhibition - Hart Gallery London
    • International Raku - Galerie Weger, Germany
    • Raku- Investigations into Fire, Rufford Craft Centre, Nottinghamshire
    • Painting with Smoke - Touring Exhibition of Raku Ceramics by David Roberts organised by Huddersfield Art Gallery and Cleveland Craft Centre opens at Huddersfield Art Gallery
  • 1999
    • Millenium Ceramics Exhibition, Southwell Minster, Nottinghamshire
  • 1998
    • Solo Exhibition - Hart Gallery, London
    • Solo Exhibition - Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh
    • Two person show with Tina Vlassopulos, Loes & Reinier, International Ceramics, Deventer, Holland
  • 1997
    • Raku Ceramics - Craft Display Space, Barbican Centre, London
    • 'Touching the Past' - Contemporary Ceramics, London
  • 1996
    • Solo Exhibition - Hart Gallery, London
    • London Contemporary Art Fair (Hart Gallery)
  • 1995
    • International Art Fair, Gent, Belgium (Hart Gallery)
    • English Ceramics, Athens, Greece (organised by C.P.A.)
    • Beaux Arts, Bath
  • 1994
    • International Ceramics, Alpha House Gallery, Sherbourne, Dorset
    • C.P.A. Exhibition, Mid Cornwall Gallery, Par, Cornwall
    • Summer Exhibition - Contemporary Applied Arts, London
    • Earth and Fire - Rufford Crafts Centre, Nottinghamshire
    • Solo Exhibition - Hart Gallery, Nottingham
    • Solo Exhibition - Hart Gallery, London
  • 1993
    • British Ceramics - Galerij Deskco, Kortmark, Belgium
    • Candover Gallery, Arlesford, Hampshire
    • Galerie S102, Trintelen, Holland
    • Handbuilt Ceramics, Rufford Craft Centre, Notts
  • 1992
    • Solo Exhibition - Hart Gallery, Nottingham
    • Solo Exhibition - Jewell & Roberts, Holmfirth, Yorkshire
    • Gallery Argyle, Brussels, Belgium
    • Solo Exhibition - Contemporary Ceramics (C.P.A.), London
    • Edinburgh Contemporary Art Fair (Hart Gallery)
    • Art'92, London Contemporary Art Fair (Hart Gallery)
  • 1991
    • Solo Exhibition - Jewell & Roberts, Holmfirth, Yorkshire
    • Solo Exhibition - Andrew Usiskin, London
    • Solo Exhibition - Courcoux & Courcoux, Salisbury
  • 1990
    • Solo Exhibition - Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh
    • Ashdown Gallery, Uckfield, Sussex
    • Solo Exhibition - Craft and Design Centre, Leeds, accompanied by publication monograph by Tony Birks
  • 1989
    • Solo Exhibition - Beaux Arts, Bath
  • 1988
    • Coil Built Pots - Oxford Gallery
    • Courcoux & Courcoux, Salisbury
  • 1987
    • Solo Exhibition - Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Wales
    • Solo Exhibition - Raku Forms, Crafts Potters Shop, London
  • 1986
    • Beaux Arts, Bath
    • Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh - group show organised by Henry Rothschild
    • English Ceramics - Charlotte Hennig Gallery, Germany
  • 1985
    • British Ceramics - Gallery Linden, Holland
    • Playing with Fire - Craft Potters Shop, London
  • 1984
    • Artist Potters Now - touring exhibition organised by the Oxford Museum and Sothebys
    • Four Potters - Huddersfield Art Gallery
  • 1983
    • Raku and Lustreware - Westminster Gallery, Boston, USA
    • Lustreware - British Crafts Centre, London
    • Modern British Studio Ceramics - David Queensbury, London
    • Solo Exhibition - Beaux Arts, Bath
  • 1982
    • British Ceramics - De Sluis Gallery, Holland
    • Big Pots - British Crafts Centre, London
    • Handbuilt Pots - Craft Potters Shop, London
  • 1981
    • New Members Show - Craft Potters Shop, London

top of pageDavid Roberts Public and Corporate Collections

    • V&A Museum, London
    • Scottish Museum, Edinburgh
    • Ulster Museum, Belfast
    • Museum of Wales
    • Yorkshire Museum Services
    • Leeds Schools Art Loan Service
    • Lotherton Hall
    • Wakefield City Art Galleries & Museums
    • Huddersfield Art Gallery
    • Piece Hall Gallery, Halifax
    • Townley Hall Art Gallery, Burnley
    • Bolton Art Gallery
    • Cleveland County Council
    • Stoke-on-Trent Art Gallery & Museum
    • Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge

top of pageDavid Roberts work represented in the following publications

  • 1984
    • Coiled Pottery - Betty Blandino - A&C Black.
  • 1985
    • Collectors History of English Pottery - Griselda Lewis - Antique Collectors Club.
  • 1988
    • Ceramic Form - Peter Lane - W. Collins & Sons Co.
  • 1990
    • Raku - Ian Byers - B.T.Batsford.
  • 1991
    • Raku Pottery - Robert Pipenburgh - Pebble Press (2nd Edition).
  • 1994
    • Raku, A Review of Contemporary Work - Tim Andrews - A&C Black.
  • 1995
    • Smoke Fired Pottery - Jane Perryman - A&C Black.
  • 1996
    • The Spirit of Clay - Robert Pipenburgh - Pebble Press, USA.
  • 2000
    • Raku - Investigations into Fire - David Jones, Crowood Press.
  • 2004
    • Naked Clay, Jane Perryman, A&C Black Ltd, London
    • World Famous Ceramic Studios, Vol.I, Europe, Bai Ming, Heibi Fine Arts Publishing House, China
  • 2005
    • Raku, Second Edition, Tim Andrews, A&C Black Ltd, London
  • 2009
    • The Spirit of Ceramic Design, Robert Piepenburg, Pebble Press, Ann Arbor, USA

top of pageDavid Roberts work represented in the following articles

  • 1987
    • Ceramic Review (No.105) - article on David Roberts by Stephen Brayne (cover illustration)
    • Ceramic Series - catalogue for solo exhibition at Aberystwyth Arts Centre written by Emmanuel Cooper.
  • 1990
    • Brochure written for solo exhibition at Leeds Craft and Design Centre - article written by Tony Birks.
    • Ceramic Monthly (November) article written by Tony Birks.
  • 1992
    • Ceramic Review (No.137) - article written by W.A. Ismay (work on cover).
  • 1995
    • Ceramics Art and Perception (No.20) - article written by Jane Hamlyn.
    • Ceramic Review (July/August) - review of solo exhibition at Beaux Arts Gallery, Bath, written by Felicity Aylieff.
  • 1998
    • Review of recent work published in North Wales potters Association Newsletter written by Steven Mattison.

top of pageArticles written by David Roberts

  • 1977
    • "Lift-Off Raku Kiln" - Ceramic Review (No.44).
  • 1982
    • "American Raku" - Ceramic Review (No.76).
  • 1988
    • "Paul Soldner" - Ceramic Review (No. 109).
  • 1989
    • "Raku Today" - Ceramic Review (No. 118).
  • 1998
    • David Roberts' much praised website created containing full information on current and historical work.
    • www.davidroberts-ceramics.com
  • 2000
    • First Edition of the mongraph, Painting with Smoke, Lynne Green, Smith Settle, Otley, UK
  • 2009
    • Second revised and extended edition of Painting with Smoke, Lynne Gree, Greendrake press, Liversedge, UK

top of pageDavid Roberts Technical Notes

    • All the work is coil built and Raku fired. Prior to firing, some surfaces are burnished using various levigated slips. Biscuit firing is between 1000 & 1100 degrees Celsius. The Raku firing is between 850 & 950 degrees Celsius and is completed by a prolonged smoking and cooling process. Finally the pots are cleaned and where applicable sealed with a natural wax.