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Brutal Textures: Sculptural Ceramic Course

Part of Make! The New Brutal

Image of Brutalist Surfaces Ceramics Course in the Barbican Shop by Matt Raw part of Make The New Brutal

Make a ceramic sculpture of your choice inspired by the Brutalist Architecture of the Barbican. Artist Matt Raw leads this unique, month–long course, specially put together for Make! The New Brutal

Let inspiration take hold as you learn about the processes and techniques, experimenting and playing with a number of different styles. Your finishes pieces will be displayed in the Barbican Shop as part of London Crafts Week.

This brand new course kicks off with an Architecture Tour (included), where you can find inspiration in the many surfaces and textures of the Barbican Centre and estate. You'll spend the next three weeks developing your ideas across a collection of hand-rolled 'slabs' of clay; drying them, firing them and glazing them.

The course will take place in a pop-up workshop in the Barbican Shop, with one class in Matt's studio in Hoxton, East London, where you will glaze your pieces. The collection of finished pieces will be displayed in the Barbican Shop, with an opening on Wednesday 8 May, as part of London Craft Week.

  • Choose from Course A (Saturdays) or Course B (Sundays): Saturday mornings beginning on the 2nd March and Sunday mornings beginning on the 3rd March. Workshops taking place in the Barbican include a free hot drink from our café.
  • No experience required
  • Course consists of four workshops which run throughout March and an exhibition as part of London Craft Week which takes place in May. Please note that particpants will not be able to bring home their finished pieces until then.
  • Each workshop lasts 3 hours, running from 11am–2pm
  • Maximum capacity: 10
  • You will be using wet clay, so please dress accordingly
  • This workshop has an age restriction of 16+

Course dates

Course A:

  • Sat 2 Mar, Barbican Shop
  • Sat 9 Mar, Barbican Shop
  • Sat 16 Mar, Barbican Shop
  • Sat 30 Mar, Matt's Hoxton studio
  • Wed 8 May, London Crafts Week Exhibition

Course  B:

  • Sun 3 Mar, Barbican Shop
  • Sun 10 Mar, Barbican Shop
  • Sun17 Mar, Barbican Shop
  • Sun 31 Mar, Matt's Hoxton studio
  • Wed 8 May, London Crafts Week Exhibition

Course breakdown

About the artist

Matthew Raw is a founding member of Studio Manifold – a Hoxton based communal studio made up of nine artists which began in 2010 after completion of the Ceramics & Glass Masters at The Royal College of Art. Matthew currently explores the physical and communicative properties of the tile. This includes working with architects (Clay Station at Seven Sisters Station in collaboration with Assemble for Art on the Underground, and currently with Feilden Clegg Bradley for a large mural at the University of Warwick) and galleries. Teaching is an integral part of Matthew's practice, and he tutors at The Royal College of Art and Central St Martins. He exposes the immediate and tactile qualities of clay through ceramic workshops, and recent clients include The Design Museum, V&A East, The New Craftsmen, and his own business: Raw Ceramic Workshops. Matthew is also a former artist in resident at the V&A Museum (2015), and was awarded the Jerwood Makers Award in 2014. He is excited to be working at the Barbican Centre with this focussed, ambitious set of workshops.

Matthew will have a solo show in September 2019 at Plymouth College of Art.

For inspiration...

detail of tile

Meet ceramicist Matt Raw

London-based ceramic artist Matt Raw talks us through his creative process as he leads a month–long course, specially put together for Make! The New Brutal

Barbican Shop