Ceramist Zara Speke holding two hadn built decorative ceramic plates with floral patterns.
Ceramist Zara Speke sitting at a table with art supplies and brushes in a jar, working on hand painting a ceramic plate

With a career in sport marketing and partnerships, and my later school years leading to a belief that I simply wasn’t creative, ceramics reignited the flame.

Whilst my pieces may not be filled with the widly expressive and experimental style favoured by my art teachers, I fell back in love with the medative nature of getting lost in the process and working with my hands that a creative practice often brings. I’ve developed a self-taught style that expresses my ideas in my a way that is authentic to myself.

Taking inspiration from the natural world and my childhood growing up in the beautiful Northumberland countryside amongst wildflowers and my Mother’s much loved garden, I hand paint each plate in a style inspired and influenced by Indian decorative painting and famed block printing, to create finish pieces that are as individual as you and I.

With a focus on handbuilt decorative ceramic plates (for now!), I handmake my own moulds to create plates with a flatting profile outline, that further undulate and soften through the firing process and result in a truely unique and bespoke piece each and every time.

I hope my play brings a little joy into your home.