Mary White (ceramicist and calligrapher) facts for kids
Mary White (born Rollinson) was a talented ceramic artist and calligrapher. She lived from 1926 to 2013 and was known for her beautiful pottery and handwriting art.
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Early Life and Learning
Mary White was born in 1926 in a place called Croesyceiliog in Wales. She loved art and went to study at Goldsmiths' College from 1949 to 1950. In 1951, she married a painter named Charles White, who passed away in 1997.
Mary became a special member of important art groups. In 1962, she joined the Society of Scribes & Illuminators (SSI). Later, she also became a member of the Letter Exchange, which is another group for people who love letters and calligraphy.
Teaching and New Ideas
In the early 1970s, Mary White taught art at Atlantic College in Glamorgan. She had been teaching for twenty years in different schools and colleges. But in 1973, she decided to stop teaching. She wanted to work for herself as a full-time artist.
A big change happened in Mary's art in 1975. She was invited to a special art event in Cardiff. Here, she got to try working with porcelain, which is a very fine type of clay. She started making wide, flat bowls with very thin edges. She also began using bright colors in her glazes, like turquoise. Before this, she mostly used warm brown colors for everyday dishes. Turquoise became her favorite color, and she used it in many different shades.
Moving to Germany and New Art Forms
Mary started making more unique art pieces instead of just tableware. By 1980, she and her husband moved to Germany. After moving, she rarely made dishes anymore. In 1982, she won a special award called the Staatspreis Rheinland-Pfalz for her amazing craftwork.
Before moving to Germany, Mary sometimes showed her calligraphy art. She even put letters on some of her bowls. But in Germany, she focused mostly on ceramics for many years. In the early 1980s, Mary began making organic shapes from porcelain. These shapes looked like things found in nature. She made the clay very thin, almost like torn paper, and layered it. Her ideas came from rocky seashores, seashells, and the way waves move over sand. She also found inspiration in the colors of the sea and sky. She liked making oval shapes more than round ones.
In 1990, Mary became interested in calligraphy again. She went to an international art event in Belgium. There, she met a master calligrapher named Villu Toots from Estonia. He helped her find her passion for calligraphy once more. She then started to combine her two favorite art forms: ceramics and calligraphy.
Legacy and Collections
Mary White's artwork is known all over the world. Her pieces are kept in famous museums. These include the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris.
Mary White passed away in Germany in 2013.
Published Works
Mary White also shared her knowledge in a book.
- Lettering on Ceramics, published in 2003.
