Philip is the son of Michael Leach, Bernard’s second son, and was born in 1947 at Alton in Hampshire. As a child he lived at Beagle Cross, next door to the Leach Pottery in St Ives while his father worked there and taught at Penzance Art School. Philip was taught to throw by his father at the age of 14 but only became a potter at the age of 29. His work is inspired by experiences which come from travelling, from books and from the details of day to day life. He keeps a working sketch book and has recently been making ‘sketch book’ tiles in a Persian blue glaze which are inspired by his years in Iran.

‘Sometimes walking on our stunning cliffs I try to think of a way to translate the images around me into a visual statement in clay. I enjoy the Japanese approach where the plasticity of the clay is given greater reign, and symmetry, like the human face - it is not always perfect but there is a balance.’

Philip has exhibited at the Mashiko Ceramic Centre Japan and Gallery St Ives, Tokyo.