Meet the Makers - Hannah Wilson

Meet the Makers is an ongoing series featuring artists and makers I admire.

Two pots from Hannah Wilson

Two elongate pots by Hannah Wilson

Radiation bowl by Hannah Wilson

Working in the studio - Hannah Wilson

Two dark grey pots by Hannah Wilson

Three pots by Hannah Wilson

Three dark grey pots by Hannah Wilson

Opening the fire pit

Selection of ceramics by Hannah Wilson

Selection of grey ceramic pots by Hannah Wilson

Hannah Wilson's ceramics studio

In "Meet the Makers" I share the work of artists I genuinely admire — people whose practice, values and way of working resonate deeply with my own. These are makers whose work I return to again and again, because it is beautiful and carries agency, intention, story and care.

The second artist to be featured in this series is the amazing Hannah Wilson.

Here Hannah describes her work:

I’m a ceramic artist working from my studio in Henley-on-Thames, crafting unique hand-built pieces. My work is inspired by nature, texture, pattern — and by a love of travel and seeing new places, which constantly shifts the way I look at the world and my work. These impressions filter into my ceramics in intuitive, often unexpected ways.

I build each piece slowly by hand, coiling, pinching, scraping and smoothing the clay. After an initial bisque firing, I subject my work to a dramatic smoke firing: I bury the pieces in sawdust, set them alight, and wait. I enjoy trying to influence the flow of the smoke to suit my designs, yet it always reacts unpredictably with the clay, embedding soulful patterns into the surface and making every piece truly one-of-a-kind. Even after over 20 years of working with clay, I still love the excitement of opening the pit to discover what has happened.

Each vessel or object reflects a careful balance between form, surface and texture. I find joy in the hands-on process, and with every new item I strive to evolve, refine and push toward what feels like the “perfect form.”

Check me out on my Instagram @hannahsceramics or if you’d like to see my current work in person, look out for me at local art fairs throughout the year, or make an appointment to visit my studio in Henley-on-Thames.

www.hannahwilsonceramics.com

Heirloom Necklace -

Your story is the precious material

2026 my own Heirloom Necklace

Most of us have meaningful objects tucked away in drawers and jewellery boxes.

A ring inherited from a parent. A pendant collected on a journey. A small charm that once belonged to a grandparent. Objects that carry memories, people, places, and moments from our lives.

Often these pieces are too precious to discard, yet rarely worn.

The idea behind an Heirloom Necklace is simple: to bring those fragments together into a beautiful and meaningful design that can be worn and enjoyed every day.

Not because of their monetary value, but because of the personal stories they carry.

An Heirloom Necklace becomes a personal map. A way of carrying important memories, people and experiences with us. It tells a story that no one else could tell because it is built from the objects and moments that have shaped a life.

The colour and meaning of the gemstones tie the elements of the necklace together.

The necklace shown here is my own.

It combines a traditional Agadez cross, a traveller's compass from the Sahara; an antique French cross given to me by my parents on my confirmation day; a small silver bell and heart from my grandmothers; a ring gifted to me by an elderly Arab man in Bethlehem when I was travelling alone at eighteen; and an ancient Byzantine cross with its beautiful green patina.

The gemstones have been chosen for their own significance: yellow topaz as my birthstone, a ruby with visible growth rings reflecting my geological background, and green emeralds and aventurine that echo the colour of the Byzantine cross.

1990 first prototype of my Heirloom Necklace, this also contained the Bethlehem ring.

As I assembled these objects, I realised this was not entirely new. When I was eighteen, I wore a necklace carrying shells, scarabs, amber and found objects collected during my travels. Without realising it, I have always been interested in jewellery as biography.

Yet every Heirloom Necklace would be different. Some might be bold and sculptural. Others delicate and understated. Some may contain inherited jewellery, others found objects, stones, medals, charms, or fragments collected over a lifetime.

-What matters is not the material.

-What matters is the story.

Because the most meaningful jewellery is rarely defined by value.

-Your story is the precious material.

A necklace with a very personal story .

I have realised this idea extends far beyond my own necklace.

Over time I hope to create Heirloom Necklaces for others, working together to transform inherited jewellery, meaningful objects, collected fragments and personal treasures into beautiful, meaningful designs that are deeply personal.

If you have objects carrying stories that deserve to be worn rather than hidden away, I would love to hear from you.

More about Heirloom Necklaces

Contact me for inquiry

Edelweiss and Alpine Light: A Bespoke Commission

The finished Edelweiss earrings, carrying memories of alpine landscapes and light.

Some commissions begin with a very specific idea.

For this pair of bespoke earrings, my client wished to capture memories of years spent living in Austria. The brief was both personal and evocative: Edelweiss flowers combined with gemstones reflecting the colours of sunset over the alpine mountains where the flowers grow.

The deep indigo colours of sunset over the Alps.

The Edelweiss has long been associated with the alpine landscape. Growing in remote mountain regions, it is often seen as a symbol of resilience, endurance and attachment to place. For my client, the flower carried memories of a landscape that had become deeply meaningful.

Edelweiss study by Henri Bergé, an early source of inspiration.

The earrings began as hand-built wax models, each flower carefully sculpted before being cast in sterling silver using the traditional lost-wax casting process.

Once cast, selected areas of the flowers were fused with 24ct gold, bringing warmth to the petals, while other areas were oxidised to a deep grey to create contrast and depth. Highlights of polished silver were retained, allowing the different surface treatments to work together and echo the changing light found in the mountains themselves.

Silver Edelweis flowers shortly after casting.

A small Edelweiss motif, indigo iolite and multi-coloured raw diamonds are suspended below the flowers. The stones are held using fine 9ct gold wirework and attached to delicate silver chains, allowing movement and light to animate the piece when worn.

The gemstones were chosen to reflect the colours of sunset over the Alps. Deep indigo iolite echoes the evening sky, while the raw diamonds capture the shifting tones of mountain light as day gives way to dusk.

What I particularly enjoy about bespoke commissions is the opportunity to translate personal stories into jewellery.

The first sketch from which the commission developed.

Every commission begins with a conversation and develops into a piece that is unique to the wearer. In this case, the finished earrings became a way of carrying a cherished landscape and a period of life in a wearable form.

The resulting piece brings together memory, landscape and material: Edelweiss flowers, alpine light and the enduring connection between people and place.

If you are considering a bespoke commission, I would be delighted to discuss how a personal story, object, place or memory might be translated into jewellery.