Tilu Shah says, "I was born in a small African town to a traditional Indian family and lived, worked and played in an unspoilt landscape. As a child what I liked best was to go to play at the riverside, the sound and the colour of the water fascinated me. That fascination has carried on through to the present.  During my travels round the world, my enthusiasm for the luminosity and the depth of the water has increased.

In my work I have tried to capture nature's own calm and chaos the allure and magic of tropical waters combined with the rugged beauty of the landscape.  To me nature is a mirror reflecting the divine; therefore the five elements earth, air, fire, water and space are all sacred.

My vessels show the relationship between the rough dry land and the smooth, rich waters creating a natural conflict in harmony.  While I am working, memories of things seen or imagined, surface and become clear or make themselves known by some indistinct feelings.

Each piece is hand built, and in some I combine modular coiling with thrown elements.  I use different clays like St. Thomas body, earthstone, porcelain and red magma.  The outside textural quality is achieved by pressure, pushing and pinching the clay when leather hard.  By combining the oxides, slips and glaze with glass I capture the depth and essence of water in the interior.  All my work is fired to stoneware temperature."

Please bear in mind that the range of stock changes daily, and inclusion of a picture on this site does not mean the item is necessarily in stock.

Guildford House Gallery
155 High Street
Guildford
Surrey
GU1 3AJ

Tel: 01483 444740
Fax: 01483 444742
Email: guildfordhouse@guildford.gov.uk