13 Aug - 9 Sept 2016

We're really excited to showcase the work of long-standing Unlimited creative Atelier Stella - a contemporary ceramic studio founded in 2012 by fellow Brighton resident Stella Baggott.

Stella creates stylishly playful ceramic vases, planters and homewares that bring a smile to your face. In the last ten years her studio has grown from a contemplative hobby in London to a Brighton studio and showroom, and is now a very established presence on the handmade ceramic scene. Her collection is ever changing and highly sought after as they're both beautiful and useful objects to treasure for life.

Stella graduated with BA in Graphic Design and went on to be a well known Children's book illustrator. Whilst working in London she spent 4 years attending ceramic evening classes, her hobby soon blossomed and Atelier Stella was launched in 2012. The collection evolved from her influences of vintage ceramics, folk art and ancient pottery mixed with the rustic use of patterns and frivolity of character. Her signature style is the cute but sophisticated smiling faces, with long noses and stamped markings which adorn each pot.


"My starting point for my designs is what I like and would want in my home. I like things that make my smile but I also want it to be stylish and to fit into my own home decor which is a mix of modern and vintage. I'm a big fan of mid-century ceramics from Scandinavia, Cornwall and Italy for their bold use of texture and pattern and I love the clean lines and simplicity of Japanese design - I think my work reflects all of these influences. My Mother is a florist and artist who has always encouraged my artistic side and love of nature, so I think thats why I've always styled my pots with plants and flowers - many from her garden...

...All my work is hand built and sculpted from slabs of stoneware clay, sometimes combining slip cast orbs or pinch pots. I love to use strong geometric shapes as a starting point. My ideas often morph and change as I work. I usually make a range of shapes and tubes of clay and then join them together or add arms to create characters. I don't like to waste clay so bits chopped off one design maybe become a piece of their own. The pieces are then individually hand stamped before bisque firing. When glazing I stick to a simple palette of whites, greens and blues, playing with textures of overlapping glaze reactions and unglazed surfaces to create interest."

Stella's current work is always available from our Brighton shop and gallery on the seafront.