Bernard Leach’s grandson, Philip Leach came to the Pottery in the summer of 2022 during the residency of Tomoo Hamada, grandson of Leach Pottery co-founder, Shoji Hamada. They collaborated, with demonstrations on the original kick wheels and gave talks in the Old Pottery (now our museum).

In October 2022, Philip returned to the Pottery for the opening of an exhibition on the life and work of his father Michael Leach. He brought with him a small selection of new earthenware bowls, decorated in beautiful sumptuous glazes; including a rich Persian turquoise/blue, possibly 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.’

Photo shows Philip and Tomoo enjoying tea and cake in the Leach Pottery garden, June 2022.