Originally from Yorkshire Gwen Vaughan lived and gained her formal arts education in Wales. She finished with a BA (hons) in Ceramics at Cardiff School of Art and Design and went further for a Postgraduate Certificate in Education at University of Exeter. Now Gwen is settled near Liskeard were she works from her studio.

All of her pieces are made using the pinching technique, forms are created by paddling the hollow pinched clay into the desired shape. The precious scale of her work is directly influenced by this ancient hand-building process. Heights range from 70mm to 150mm.

She uses a rich black clay, carving into the surface to create a texture inspired by the qualities of slate and stone. Washes of coloured slip emphasize the textural detail and contrast against the blackness of the clay. The addition of a brighter palette of spotted or sponged decoration echoes the nature of the forms.