Cat Santos
Cat produces a variety of stoneware pieces from plates to vases and ceramic forms which are covered both inside and out with distinctive decorative designs.
'I have been a print maker since leaving Saint Martin’s in 1981 and had my own T-shirt printing business for 30 years. Silk screen, mono printing, lino and etching…I have always loved the process and the challenges of controlling the medium. About ten years ago I took up ceramics, and found how sympathetic the surface of clay is to taking print. I explore various techniques using slips, oxides and under glazes…and to add to the possibilities, there’s all that variety of clay surfaces to use, from smooth white porcelain, to deliciously dark black clay or heavy, textured, grogged clay.
Unlike printing on paper or fabric, the thrill of ceramics is the transformation of the materials in the kiln. Of course one gets to predict pretty well how the various materials will interact with each other and the heat, but there are always some surprises, and that’s what I like; it's as if some other hand has put the final touch to my work.'