My name is Chris Jenkins, I am Welsh potter based in Gower, Swansea in South Wales. I have been working alongside Micki Schloessingk at Bridge Pottery for the last 7 years.

My first encounter with clay was during a family visit to St. Fagan’s Living Museum. There was a potter giving children an opportunity to have a quick go on the wheel, and by a quick go I mean prod the pot that he had already made. It was a very short and fleeting moment but it engraved itself into my childhood memories so deeply.

During my Fine Art degree, I rediscovered clay at the end of my first year. As soon as I got onto the wheel I was hooked. My university had a fantastic ceramic department and kind technicians, but I was hungry for some real tuition.

I worked as a chef alongside studying. The restaurant I was working at was a short walk away from Bridge Pottery. My colleagues encouraged me to come down to the pottery to meet Micki. On a dark winter night, I very much just turned up at the pottery.

Micki was kind and welcomed me in. After describing my situation to Micki, asking for any sort of tuition or guidance, she very generously offered me an opportunity to help out at the pottery by doing little jobs in exchange for studio time and support. With a combination of luck and fate, I managed to get my foot through the door in the pottery world. I have worked with Micki since then, taking on more responsibility at the pottery.

My work is mostly wood fired salt glazed stoneware but I also make earthenware slipware pots. I am particularly inspired by traditional English slipware, Japanese wood fired pots and German salt glazed stoneware.

All my work is once fired or raw glazed. I try to make honest and approachable pots, soft in form with playfully poured slips and glazes.