Most ceramics artists use their skills to create mugs, plates, and vases, but AJ Simpson decided to go in a completely different direction. They became a true sensation thanks to their quirky wheel-thrown and hand-built ceramic characters.
Simpson, who is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, describes themselves as a “total ceramics nerd” and their educational background reflects that. They graduated from Grays School of Art in 2021 with a BA honor in 3D Design, specializing in ceramics.
Simpson’s audience significantly grew after they took part in The Great Pottery Throwdown, to be crowned as the winner last year. They now work as a full-time ceramic artist from the Deemouth Artist Studios community in Aberdeen, Scotland.
Our favorite thing about Simpson is their uncompromising style, and their ceramic creations inhabit a world of their own and look just like characters from a children’s book or a cartoon.
“AJ enjoys exploring the novel side of ceramics through their fun ‘blob’ series of decorative one-off characters. These creatures are inspired by AJ’s love for illustration and collecting rocks as a child,” the artist explains on their official website.
Simpson tries to make their creations fun and practical at the same time, and their art often takes shape of functional objects, such as mugs, bowls, plant pots, and more.
