Joan Swain

Discovering her artistic talent later in life, Swain spent her early years in Stodmarsh, joining the WAAFs and eventually settling down in Mottingham. After taking up adult education classes, a love of ceramics was ignited, and Swain became an avid potter. Drawing inspiration from regular visits to the British Museum, as well as various countries she visited, Swain took influence from the shapes of ancient Greek storage pots. She would often sketch shapes and designs while visiting archaeological museums and later used these to inform her work.

Joan also spent time sewing, often making her own clothes and those of her daughters. According to her daughter: “There was always a surprise in the morning when we would discover she had dressed one of our dolls in a small replica of her latest creation.”

Every pot is hand-built using slabs or coils, as Joan prefers the idiosyncrasies of the hand rather than the perfection of the wheel. Her work engages with the subtle visual interest, warmth, and uniqueness that our hands are able to create.