Rachel Leary is an award winning Ceramic Maker from Omagh, Northern Ireland. After completing a degree in Contemporary Applied Arts at Belfast School of Art (2014), Rachel advanced to complete her Master’s in Ceramics at Cardiff School of Art (2015). Since this time Rachel has participated in two international residencies at esteemed ceramic centres; Project Network at the Guldagergaard Ceramic Research Centre in Denmark (2015), and the OOD Collective Residency at Medalta’s Centre for Contemporary Art in Canada, (2017). Both residencies allowed Rachel to experiment and develop her ceramic art further, exploring new areas of making and provided opportunities to learn from other respected artists and to exhibit her work internationally. Rachel has been awarded funding from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland on several occasions, and also has a piece of sculpture titled ‘A Material Experience’ in their permanent collection.

Rachel has been developing her ceramic practice since 2015 at her home studio in the countryside where the natural surroundings are what directly influence her work.  Rachel primarily uses the slip-casting method to create her porcelain functional wares and sculpture, and has developed several collections which include different aspects of natural influence.

From a young age Rachel has enjoyed studying flora and fauna closely, which developed into creating original botanical style drawings with a twist; each one bursting to life in colour. These drawings feature on her ‘Watercolour’ Collection of colourful functional and decorative porcelain wares.

Rachel’s ‘Dribble’ Collection is an extension of her various sculptural pieces which focus on combining soft slip-cast porcelain forms with naturally shaped Egyptian Faience. Throughout university Rachel has researched this unusual material, fascinated by its unique properties when it is worked with and kiln fired in various different ways. The faience is a self-glazing material made from a mixture of clay and glass components which allow it to move more freely within the kiln. Each piece of work that emerges from the kiln is completely unique as the faience will have formed different outcomes and characteristics, and it is this ambiguity that continues to excite Rachel and keep her passion for ceramics alive.

Rachel also provides facilitated clay workshops within her local community and surrounding areas, bringing ceramic projects directly to community centres and groups to provide a creative and social workshop for both adults and children.

Rachel has been supported on several occasions by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, and also the Fermanagh and Omagh District Council.