Signature Look

Jon Barrett-Danes

Jon Barrett-Danes' connection with pottery was forged during his teenage years, inheriting a family tradition that reached back five generations on his father's side. However, his path to becoming a ceramic sculptor was not linear. After honing his skills in ceramics through college, he ventured into other pursuits, working in an art college for a time. It wasn't until a decade later that the allure of clay drew him back in, reminding him of the infinite possibilities this medium offered.

Jon, initially engrossed in creating teapots, discovered a special fascination with animal shapes, particularly pigs. Drawing on the narrative-driven art of his parents, who collaborated during the 1960s and 1970s to produced remarkable ceramic works that earned a spot in the permanent collection at Aberystwyth University, Wales, Jon began crafting animated yet structurally reminiscent animal forms, which carry subtle elements of traditional pottery beneath their playful exteriors.

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“I like the freedom of working with clay as a medium. Simply because I can keep changing it and pushing it... There's an infinite number of ways you can treat clay… it's just endless, like any artist, it's a continual ongoing process. There's never an end to any of it.”

From his busy workshop in Hampshire, England, Jon concedes to not wearing “many nice clothes”, but that when he makes a clothing purchase he tends to go for higher end, stand-out items that feel and look a bit special. When not at a selling event, he still likes to look presentable while getting his hands dirty, but hardwearing and comfortable is the order of the day. Usually drawn to blues and greens, Jon has recently been 'edging towards a bit of pink' with his stylistic choices. Must be all those pigs finally rubbing off on him…

“...my work makes people smile... I try to capture a bit of humour and fun...”

Here Jon wears an oat Harris Tweed Vest (with our famous hares in lapel pin form, which Jon loved) over a classic Cotton Chambray Shirt, with a complementary green Harris Tweed Flat Top Cap and accented with a Half Hunter Pocket Watch. From the waist down it’s the requisite hard wearing comfort and a dash of cool style, with some Wrangler Texas Authentic Stonewash Jeans atop Jon’s own nicely broken in working boots. We’d like to thank Jon for letting us into his wonderful world.