Laura De Benedetti MSDC

Ceramics

About Laura
Laura De Benedetti's thrown porcelain tableware sparkles with deep vibrant colours and strives to enhance the daily experience of food sharing. The forms of her vessels are loose and relaxed and the fluid crystalline glazes produce rich surfaces and pools of intense colour. Her creative journey starts on the wheel hand throwing each vessel, but then often leaving the soft clay to slowly fold and follow the centrifugal force. More recently her approach to form has evolved beyond functionality, embracing figurative elements that delve into emotion, memory, and human connection.
Biography Back to top

The career of Laura De Benedetti spans 20 years of ceramic art. Qualified originally as a professional pharmaceutical chemist, Laura engaged with ceramics when her first child was born. Studying initially the pottery traditions of Piedmont in North Italy under a professional from Castellamonte, she took her second degree in Ceramic Art in the celebrated faculty of Media, Art & Design at the University of Westminster, graduating in 2007.

Laura’s work is inspired by the vibrant, subtle colours of the Italian coastline in Liguria where she grew up. The sea and the sky, the sand and the rock, the flashes of colour from cliff-top wild flowers – the mysterious shades of dawn and sunset, all are reflected in her unique iridescent and crystalline glazes.

Laura’s background in Chemistry has helped in the creation of the multi-layered glaze combinations that melt at high firing with unique colour results. This is the main focus for Laura’s critical assessment of her work: the way the glaze runs and pools is the main part of the success of a piece.

Resumé Back to top

Key Dates

  • 2004-07 BA (Hons) in Ceramics from University of Westminster
  • 1981-87 BSc in Pharmaceutical Chemistry from University of Florence
  • 1962 Born Genoa, Italy

Exhibitions

  • 2025 Celebrating ceramics Waterperry Gardens 11-13 July
  • 2024 EFOA open studio
  • 2024 Andenne ceramics Market May2024
  • 2024 EFOA at Hornsey Library Exhibition – Sept 2024
  • 2023 EFOA open studio
  • 2023 Andenne ceramics Market May 2023
  • 2023 EFOA at Hornsey Library Exhibition – April 2023
  • 2022 East Finchley open
  • 2022 New Ashgate Gallery Winter exhibition Nov 2020-2021
  • 2021 Thrown contemporary Winter exhibition
  • 18 Nov 2121-30 Jan 2022 “Over the realms dreams XXI edition Magazino 5 Museo Luigi Bellini Firenze
  • 2021 Art in Clay Farnham 13-14 November
  • 2021 Celebrating ceramics Waterperry Gardens 16-18 June
  • 2020 New Ashgate Gallery Winter exhibition Nov 2020-2021

Commissions and Projects

  • 2020 Order for Heather Hancock New Master of St John’s College Cambridge
  • 2020 Private commissions of Wedding Dinner set for private clients
  • 2016 Production of line for Xdibuy, Shanghai
  • 2012 Production of line for Designer Image, Seoul, Korea
  • 2012 New collection for Designer Image, Seoul, Korea
  • 2011 New collection for Nicole Farhi

Work has been stocked at

  • The New Ashgate Gallery, Farnham
  • 11 Topsfield Parade pop-up shop, Crouch End, London
  • The White chalk gallery, Devises
  • Cecilia Colman Gallery, London
  • Blue stone Gallery, Hay-on-Wye

Publications

  • Featured in Contemporary Tableware by Linda Bloomfield
  • London Potters Newsletter no.127 Dec -Jan 2008/9 "Making pots for food"
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