As part of Bloom Without Borders, 108 Fine Art hosted a ceramic workshop led by artist Karen Thompson, offering participants the opportunity to explore portraiture through clay.
The session focused on making small busts, with participants working from observation. Subjects included one another, themselves, and people familiar to them.
Working in clay encouraged a direct and intuitive approach. Forms were built by hand, shaped gradually, and adjusted through touch. The process allowed each piece to develop with an emphasis on looking closely and responding to what was in front of them.
Throughout the workshop, participants also looked at portrait imagery for reference, including material drawn from books within the gallery, offering a wider context for thinking about form, structure and expression.
The workshop reflected Karen Thompson’s wider practice, where surface, form and observation come together through a careful and considered approach to making.
It was a pleasure to see a range of responses emerge over the course of the session, with each piece carrying a distinct character shaped by the individual making it.
We would like to thank Karen Thompson for leading the workshop, and all those who took part.
About the Exhibition
The workshop formed part of Bloom Without Borders, a group exhibition bringing together work by Karen Thompson, Anna King, Yukako Sakakura and Daisy Collingridge.
About Karen Thompson
Karen Thompson is a ceramic artist based in North Yorkshire, originally from South Shields.
Alongside her sculptural work, she has developed a series of portrait paintings in acrylic and watercolour, as seen in Bloom Without Borders. Across both disciplines, her practice combines historical and contemporary references, exploring social and political themes through form, surface and expression.
Visit the Gallery
Location: 108 Fine Art Gallery, Harrogate, North Yorkshire
Gallery Hours: Open 11am – 5pm, Tuesday to Saturday. Walk-ins welcome or by appointment.
