Nick Caiger-Smith

Nick made his first pots as a boy in the workshop at the Aldermaston Pottery under the guidance of his father, Alan. However, he then put his energies into gaining a degree in Philosophy at Cambridge University, working for a spell in Cairo and pursuing a career in merchant banking and industry.

In 1997, he returned to potting and began making principally lustre ceramics. During 1998 he had three exhibitions, one jointly with his father in London, all of which were enthusiastically received.

The lustre techniques he uses have been known for over 1,200 years. They have Middle Eastern origins and have left a rich heritage in the Arab and European world, now in the leading museums and private collections. In this century, few potters have used them because of their difficulty and unpredictability.  Building on his father’s work in this field. Nick is developing his own technical variations and style.

Nick uses red and white earthenware clay, tin glaze and clear glazes and a range of lustre pigments. The work is fired three times, the lustre being generated in “reduction” conditions in the third firing. He draws inspiration especially from spirited decorative styles of early Persian, Arab and Hispano-Moresque pottery. His brushwork reflects some knowledge of Japanese and Arabic calligraphy.

Nick lives in Berkshire with his wife and their four children.

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