Ceramic artist to showcase Final MA Exhibition in Ilkley

Ceramic artist Ali Gane

Ceramic artist Ali Gane will present her final MA exhibition, Journey to the Edge of Land, from Thursday to Saturday this week within Church House at All Saints Church in Ilkley.

The exhibition marks the culmination of the Yorkshire-based artist’s studies for an MA in Creative Practice, and charts her evolution as a ceramic artist - from her beginnings as a student in the 1980s to her distinctive coast-inspired work today.

Ali’s ceramic journey began at Ripon College where she studied Geography and Art under Victor Priem and Peter Clough, developing large, classically shaped coil pots fired in gas kilns under reduction. Years later, she found renewed inspiration within the creative ceramics community at Harrogate College, leading to bold experimentation in form, texture, and firing techniques.

Now a dedicated hand builder, Ali creates pieces that evoke a deep sense of place and connection. Her work is rooted in the natural landscape, combining white earthstone and red earthenware clays in a unique patchwork, often glazed in a painterly style using volcanic silicon carbide and other complex finishes.

In Journey to the Edge of Land, visitors will encounter a reflective body of work shaped by memory, land, and sea - including a photographic reimagining of her ceramic forms and a collaborative piece celebrating women's connection with water.

Ali says:

“This exhibition is about holding space for history, geology, and personal connection. it’s a story of making, remaking, and rediscovery.”

The exhibition is open daily 10am until 4pm, 24-26 July 2025. Admission is free and open to all.