John Booth - Ceramicist & Illustrator
The next episode of A Collection Of… Spaces is with John Booth, ceramicist, designer and illustrator.
I visited John in his railway-arch studio in Haggerston, East London, a space he’s shared for the past nine years with seven other artists working across ceramics and mixed media. The studio has the feel of a home workspace: books, magazines and sketches are always within reach, feeding a constant loop of ideas.
John’s corner is a layered mix of practical workbenches, past projects, rammed bookshelves and plaster moulds, all sharing the signature pops of colour you’ll recognise from his work. His practice spans objects like egg cups and mugs through to fashion collections and large-scale murals for some of the world’s biggest fashion labels, including Fendi.
We spoke about John’s creative journey: moving from Cumbria to London to study Fashion Print Design at Central Saint Martins, working in-house for major fashion houses after graduating, and how a passing interest in a ceramics course gradually became the core medium for creating his work today.
My main takeaway from the conversation was John’s openness to learning and collaborating with others. This comes through clearly in his large-scale public installations, where ideas are presented to fabricators and brands through sketches and maquettes rather than polished 3D renders, keeping the work closely aligned with his process. It was a useful reminder for me, someone who often believes everything can be learned alone, that while that may be true, working with collaborators can elevate the outcome.
That balance is especially clear in his ongoing collaboration with Ian McIntyre under the name Supergroup. John’s creative outlook is complemented by Ian’s technical and fabrication insight, creating a strong connection between bespoke studio pieces and factory-scale production, most recently seen in their collections for Hem & The Conran Shop.
Enjoy!
www.instagram.com/john_booth
www.instagram.com/supergroupprojects
www.john-booth.com
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If you would like to contribute to this series then please feel free to get in touch. I would love to see your workshop, studio, garden shed, home project or small space you call your own.