RHONA FRANCES

Rhona Frances is a ceramic artist based on the south coast of Cornwall, specialising in minimalist vessels with soft, feminine forms. Working with stoneware clay, Frances builds each piece slowly using the hand-building technique of coiling, allowing form to evolve through quiet repetition. Central to her practice, and in contrast to the calm, measured construction of her vessels, is the raku firing process; an inherently volatile and unpredictable method. The resulting crackle surfaces act as delicate records of fire, smoke, and transformation. The philosophy of non-attachment is fundamental to Frances’s work; some vessels are lost during firing, and this acceptance of fragility has become an integral part of her artistic outlook. 

“Pottery has become a deliberate slowing down for me; an antidote to the speed of online culture. With clay on my hands, I’m fully present; I can’t reach for my phone or laptop. The process creates a private, internal space where experiences are allowed to surface and settle. I’ve also found a deep sense of community shaped by shared curiosity and experimentation.”
— Rhona Snowden