ABOUT
Hi I'm Maz
My name is Maz Nash (they/them), and I am a small batch ceramic artist.
My studio and I are based in the United Kingdom on the outskirts of Bristol, in a town called Yate.
I am a queer, non-binary and neurodivergent artist and this both influences and inspires how I work and what I create.
What inspires me?
My inspiration is often drawn from the societal concept of the gender binary. I love to explore the idea of femininity and how the idea of gender is perceived through the way we present ourselves. Sometimes this can be very therapeutic for me, as I build up my own confidence and understanding of my gender identity.
I am very much a figurative artist and love creating pieces with strong characters and surrealist elements painted on them, especially characters who fall outside of the gender norms.
I love to tell stories with my work. I focus on the stories of those who are often not given space to share, and shamed when they do. These narratives are intertwined with natural elements that I mix in with the subjects in a surreal way. I want to create a world in my pieces where these marginalised groups are free and safe to live their lives, in their truest, most natural form.
The LGBTQIA+ and neurodiverse communities are often told that their most authentic selves are unnatural and are not acceptable to those around us. This is why I include so many plants, flowers and natural elements in my artwork, often physically mixing nature and my characters together. It is my way of symbolising we are natural and beautiful – just the way we are.
What is my process?
I make all my pottery in my little studio in my garden, either by hand or using my pottery wheel. Whatever method I’m using I love listening to music or a podcast and just getting lost in the clay.
When my pieces are leather hard, I put them back on my pottery wheel and trim them, by turning them on the wheel and tidying up the bases. This is a new skill I have been teaching myself and a process I have already fallen in love with. I find it such a soothing process.
Once my creations have been made, I dry them out slowly (to reduce the risk of cracking!) by wrapping them up or putting them in my homemade damp box. Once fully dried, I then bisque fire them at a local kiln firing service.
My pottery is made from speckled stoneware clay. What I love about this type of clay is that it has a slightly rougher texture and when it’s fired it has a warm tone with little freckles on the clay, which gives it a beautiful organic feel.
Once bisque fired, I then paint each piece by hand, using bright and colourful underglazes. Normally I paint in whichever spot has the best light. When the weather is warm and dry you can usually find me outside with a pot in one hand and a paintbrush in the other.
Once I have finished decorating my pieces with my unique designs, I then dip them in a transparent glaze and fire them once more. After giving their bases a quick sand they are ready to find their new homes!
Take a tour of my pottery studio…
