Nerikomi is a Japanese technique traditionally involving the layering of different coloured, naturally found clays, to form detailed patterns which are pieced together.

Ciara takes a contemporary approach to this technique, adding modern body stains to white stoneware clay to achieve bright, bold colours. She layers these to create blocks of expressive, playful patterns. From these blocks she cuts slabs, which are rolled out and manipulated to create her work.

For her homeware, these slabs are used directly, allowing the pattern to build the entire object. For her furniture, she laminates these patterns over a grogged stoneware, which enables her to build on a larger scale. Her work is finished with a glossy, transparent glaze and lashings of gold lustre for added extravagance and fun.

Although there is surface cracking present in some work, Ciara uses another technique, Kintsugi, to fix this when necessary. She believes that cracking doesn’t affect the value of an object, rather it is a part of its history and the process of making. By spending time repairing work, she brings sustainability and appreciation into her practice.

She approaches her practice with joy, humour, silliness and flourish. Her work is meant to exist casually and to be used as part of everyday life. The everyday, both domestic and public, is a source of inspiration and a space in which to situate the work she creates. She believes that by blurring the lines between art, craft and function, it allows for more interaction and accessibility to the joy she hopes to create.