Gail Altschuler
London, England
Clay as Canvas, blurring the lines between art and craft. Storytelling porcelain plates, vessels and jewellery.
Message
Gail Altschuler works from her home/ studio in North London. Art history was her first encounter within art education. Gail has been interested in ceramics since school days. She studied Art and Design, Fine Art, History of Art and has an MA is Art and Design Education. She teaches ceramics, art and art history to adults, teens and children.
Recent Exhibitions
- 2025 Crouch End Open Studios and East Finchley Open Studios June, July 2024
- Affordable Art Fair Battersea Park 16-20 October 2025 with The Art Movement
- At The London Art Fair with Milly Green of The Art Movement ISLINGTON, N1 0QH
- 2024 Messums West, Tisbury, Wiltshire 'Plates with Purpose' 2 March - 29 April
- Affordable Art fair Battersea Park 16-20 October 2024 The Art Movement
2023 The Drawing Show at The Bridewell Studios & Gallery, Liverpool. 21 July - 13 August 2023
Byard Art Gallery Cambridge 27 May - 25 June 2023
The Sanctuary Gallery Newnham-on-Severn. Gloucestershire
Saga Exceptional Article - Spring Flowers Ceramics by Joy Archer.
Contemporary Ceramics New Members Exhibition. WC1B 3BF
2022-2023 Objetd’Emotion, Marylebone Pop - Up Shop
2022 Winner 3rd 3D prize at Wales Contemporary
2022 At the Decorative Art Fair with Ruup&Form. Oct
2022 Solstice Group Exhibition, The Sanctuary Gallery Nov
2022 Wells Art Contemporary art installation. Refugee plates, Wells Cathedral South Transept. August 22
2021 Selected member of the Craft Potters Association
Selected for the Royal Academy Summer exhibition
Exhibiting at Silson Contemporary Art, Harrogate
Exhibiting at Fillingdon Fine Art High Wycombe
‘Figurative Art Now’, Mall Galleries, FBA, online exhibition
2021 Highgate Contemporary Art Ceramic ‘Form’ exhibition
Statement
Blurring the lines between art and craft.
Gail Altschuler
SOUTH AFRICAN Born 1957– UK resident
Gail Altschuler began her artistic journey as a silkscreen printer, producing vibrant, large-scale works on paper for hotels and corporate spaces. Her art is held in both South African and international corporate collections.
She has gained recognition for her distinctive porcelain pieces, which she uses as a canvas to explore and narrate stories about human connection – focusing on themes such as relationships, couples, siblings and music. Altschuler currently resides in North London. Gail is also a dedicated art teacher, offering instruction in drawing, painting, art history and ceramics from her home studio.
The series of storytelling sculptural ceramics are slab-built porcelain vessels and wall hanging plates to be used as art installations. They are illustrated with sketchbook and current observations. The themes include zoom meetings, musicians, plants, children at play and objects drawn while visiting museums.
“I aim to blur the dividing lines between Fine Art and Ceramic Craft. I use clay or porcelain as my canvas, creating sculptural slab-built porcelain vessels and illustrated plates. The themes include Masks from different cultures, Musicians, People at the café, at the beach, at the Met and Conversations Across Time.” – Gail Altschuler.
Building her porcelain pieces by hand, she high fires them. The process involves using many graphic procedures, combing Mishima, inlay techniques, with sgraffito and coloured washes, all under a transparent glaze. The Mishima inlay technique involves, hand drawn lines that are etched using a sharp pin or needle tool and filled with underglaze.