John Jelfs

John Jelfs

John Jelfs

John was born in 1946 and studied ceramics at Gloucestershire College of Art, Cheltenham.

His pots are all hand-thrown, and the focus has always been on pure form. John uses celadon, ochre and shino glazes, made from wood ash and limestone clay, ingredients local to the studio. Decoration is kept to a minimum.

‘I am excited most by the work of Bernard Leach, Hamada Shoji and the Eastern School of pottery. The strength of their pots lies, I feel, in their quietness.‘

‘A newly built kiln has enabled me to start soda-firing.’

John's work has been widely exhibited in leading galleries including Galerie Besson, Contemporary Ceramics and the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, Alpha House in Sherborne, Beaux Arts, Bath, Rufford Ceramics Centre in Nottingham, as well as other galleries.
It is included in many collections at home and abroad.

He is a Fellow of the Craft Potters' Association (CPA), and a member of the Gloucestershire Guild of Craftsmen.