Hypnotic Ceramic Sculptures Juggle Soothing Circles in Nested Shells

Ceramic Sculptures by Matthew Chambers

When looking at the sculptural ceramic art of Matthew Chambers, there is a lot to unpack. Using a potter's wheel and clay he produces mesmerizing tactile vessels that are actually multiple pieces merged into one round form. Underneath the external “shell” is several smaller bowls that are arranged like concentric circles.

Based on the Isle of Wight in the UK, Chambers is inspired by the purity of circles as a shape. He creates his layered pieces when the clay is “leather hard,” meaning it is hard enough to keep its shape but soft enough that it can be attached to other clay pieces. “The circle creates an infinite line with no beginning and no end, and with no hard or sharp edges to contend with,” he explains. “When layering the circle one over the other, the rhythm that happens runs smoother than with any other shape.”

Repetition of forms is an integral part of Chambers' vision. These multi-colored vessels appear to contain numerous bowls of smaller size within the outer shell, giving the appearance of nesting bowls that have been fused together. “I trained originally in production ceramics, learning to make works of the same size and shape, over and again,” Chambers continues. “This training has fed into my sculptural practice and without the training, I don’t think d be able to do what I’m doing now.”

You can keep up to date with Chambers' latest projects by following him on Instagram.

UK-based artist Matthew Chambers creates mesmerizing ceramic sculptures.

Ceramic Sculptures by Matthew Chambers

Ceramic Sculptures by Matthew Chambers

Ceramic Sculptures by Matthew Chambers

His pieces merge multiple vesles into one circular form.

Ceramic Sculptures by Matthew Chambers

Ceramic Sculptures by Matthew Chambers

As a result, it looks like these ceramics are made up of concentric circles.

Ceramic Sculptures by Matthew Chambers

Ceramic Sculptures by Matthew Chambers

Ceramic Sculptures by Matthew Chambers

Ceramic Sculptures by Matthew Chambers

Matthew Chambers: Website | Instagram

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Matthew Chambers.

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Margherita Cole

Margherita Cole is a Contributing Writer at My Modern Met and illustrator based in Southern California. She holds a BA in Art History with a minor in Studio Art from Wofford College, and an MA in Illustration: Authorial Practice from Falmouth University in the UK. She wrote and illustrated an instructional art book about how to draw cartoons titled 'Cartooning Made Easy: Circle, Triangle, Square' that was published by Walter Foster in 2022.
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