Alistair Brookes is a ceramicist who has worked from his studio in Mickleton, just outside Midleton-in-Teesdale, for over 50 years. Having trained at Sheffield City Teacher Training College and later gaining an Art Teacher Diploma at Cardiff University, he combined teaching with the development of his own studio pottery practice.

He excels at producing figurative works in earthenware and stoneware that capture aspects of rural life, although having been born in a Durham mining village, coal miners also feature in his output. He is particularly drawn to raku firing, embracing its unpredictability to create surfaces rich in texture and character. His work is sought after and considered to be very collectable.

In addition to his ceramics, Alistair also loves to capture local village scenes and the remote farmsteads of the North Pennines, most often using a pen and wash technique.