Pottery and Ceramic Artist

Marita Banfield was born in St. Thomas, Barbados in 1957. She discovered ceramic art just fifteen years ago, through Tony Ogogo, founder of the London based pottery collective, ‘Heritage Ceramics’. Having worked extremely hard to gain recognition for her work, Marita is now becoming acknowledged as the creator of powerful and beautifully sculptured pottery. With a gentle and cautious approach to her practice, Marita incorporates her philosophy on life into the pieces she creates, which embody her belief in a shared humanity and search for unity. Her work is a unique form of ceramic art that displays an intimate connection with her own cultural history, drawing on Benin Nigerian and Caribbean ceramic traditions. Every piece she creates is a labour of love. “It’s 200 years since the abolition of slavery and the original Africans are searching for their identity,” she says. “I want to show thought in my work, because thought can heal you. I express what I feel through clay, and the life that comes through in this process is what I call ‘Harmony Fusion’”.

With a background in lithographic printing, a career she took up in the mid seventies after studying Reprographic Techniques at The George Stephenson College in Watford, Marita’s technical skill has combined with her life experience and natural artistic talent, to help produce a collection of integrity, beauty and hopeful symbolism. Although in her own estimation she ‘works slowly’, Marita has excelled in her ability to produce original pottery designs of exceptional quality. “I tend to study cultures and the way society learns,” she says, “my work is all about how we see and understand things.”

Marita’s great compassion and her ability to reflect these feelings in her work is what sets her apart from her contemporaries. Such compassion is very evident in pieces like ‘Vase with Face 1” where a dignified and beautifully modelled face stares out from the ‘belly’ of a deep earthen coloured vase, drawing the viewer in to this perfect fusion of sculpture and pottery. Her sense of humanity and unity is also incorporated in her work “Incense Lamp”, which uses mottled blue and green colouring to connect the viewer with both the sea and the earth, creating a harmony of composition that becomes a ‘celebration of life’. Such work is not only rooted in her Caribbean heritage, but also influenced in its form, earthy colouring and style by African Benin pottery and Indian art.

Growing up in a ‘difficult’ area of Stanmore in the 1960’s and 70’s, Marita found confrontation with the local community a constant feature in her early life. Perhaps missing out on significant parts of her childhood, (“It took quite a while to define my identity”), Marita now finds much to admire in the approach of the modern children she sees working with clay. “The way they develop their natural curiosity inspires me,” she says, “in the same way other artists like Tony and Odion Ogogo inspire me. I don’t want to copy their work, but I really admire their passion. The ability to be continuous in your desire to make good work is what I’ve seen in both children and great artists.”

Intending her work to be practical too, Marita’s ‘Harmony Fusion Biscuit Barrel’, combines aesthetic pleasure with a useful piece of pottery in white earthenware and terracotta. “I like my work to be functional,” she says. “My intention is to produce cookware that takes us back to the way we used to cook in clay vases. I’d like to produce an authentic range like that.”

In future, Marita plans to expand her kitchenware range, creating everything from oven to tableware, whilst still building on her vase collection. As with other work, these pieces will not be devoid of symbolism. “I want the work to move away from looking masculine,” she says, “I think femininity is disregarded, but I have seen a lot of African pottery that represents a very strong female form. This would be a challenge.” Marita concludes, “Work that is difficult makes me appreciate my attitude and my approach; I work it out through positive thought and meditation.”

To view samples of Marita’s work click on the Gallery.