Michelle Clennell
Based in Barnard Castle, Michelle Clennell creates unique ceramic sculptures that celebrate form and personality. Using hand-building techniques, Michelle explores the character of the natural world.
One side of her practice is rooted in the "quiet expression" of British wildlife, capturing the fleeting gestures that give an animal its soul. Inspired by the fauna of Teesdale, these sculpture capture moments of stillness and subtle expression – the quiet individuality that can appear in the turn of a head or the way an animal settles into its surroundings.
The other side embraces humour and narrative, reimagining animals in improbable, human-centric roles that celebrate personality, humour and the small absurdities of everyday life.
By hand-finishing every detail, Michelle ensures that no two figures are alike, resulting in a body of work that is as much about storytelling as it is about the tactile beauty of clay.
