A conversation with Richard Beauchamp, the maker of the C Handle Stacker Cup & Large Original Stacker Cup, about his creative process and studio habits.
What does 2021 look like for you?
I’m hoping for it to be a productive year. I want to make as much as I can and learn as much as I can along the way.
What are you working on right now?
I have a run of mugs to make, however the studio where I work is currently in the process of getting a new roof and has been closed for the last couple of weeks. As soon as I get back, I’ll be working towards my first kiln load of the year.
What rituals/habits inform your work?
Having spent a number of years in the coffee industry, my morning coffee generally gets a bit of special attention. I like to take a bit of time to pick out a mug and consider it’s functional elements in-between sips – the handle, rim and base. If it’s one that I’ve made, there’s a conversational quality to the interaction, maker to object, object to maker.
Can you describe your environment and/or studio?
I currently work from the Wellington Potters’ Association. It’s a well equipped club facility that was established in 1958. The space is open and gets lots of natural light, though most of the time I spend up there is after dark working under the high bays.
What inspires you?
I draw a lot of inspiration from the time I’ve spent working in the coffee industry. Functional, well designed ceramics offer so much in a cafe environment and have real potential to elevate everyday experiences of hospitality.
How did you come to your current medium? and how long have you been working with it?
I’ve had an interest in ceramics for quite some time, but until recently the opportunity to take it up never really presented itself. A couple of years ago I took time off work to do a throwing course at the WPA, and I’ve been making up there ever since.
Where do you envisage your work going?
I have a loose idea to design and produce something of a tableware range, though as a maker who’s only just starting out, it’s hard to say where the creative process might take me.
Whose work/sounds/process/art/making are you into?
I’m really drawn to work that tells a story of it’s maker and something of how it was made. There’s a basket weaver a couple of hours drive from where I live, Eddie Douglas. He grows, harvests, processes and weaves his own willow to make the most amazing handmade baskets.
Do you have a studio pet or plant?
No, but there’s a neighbourhood cat and a seagull that one or two of the members seem to have adopted.
Did you have any victories today?
I made a cup of coffee and drank it from a cup I made. It still feels like a win every time.
Find the C Handle Stacker Cup here
And the Large Original Stacker Cup here
