Matthew Raw

1. What motivates you to make?

The construction of a project is very satisfying. ’Making’ for me is a mixture of planning, making and assembling, and it is seeing all of these factors come together to create a thing, that keeps me going. The basic joy of forming and manipulating clay is a key factor too – if I hadn’t let my instinct guide me on that, all those years ago, who knows what I’d be doing!

2. What and/or who are you most inspired or influenced by?

Post industrial landscapes always catch and hold my attention. The architectural features and clues that are left behind can tell so many stories. I quickly link things back to people, and love researching and thinking about the movement of people, communities and how they operate in a place at a certain time. Tiles - due to their robust nature and multiple uses spanning so many eras - are a gift for me. Back in 2014 I created a body of research into Victorian tiles and how and why they were used. Tiles on and in pubs, stations, hospitals and more, opened up a world of context for me to play with. Tiles are used to cover surfaces, and it is thoughts around this ‘cladding’ that inspire me greatly.

3. What is your unique approach to your craft, and how have you honed your skills?

The mark of my hand has to be present in all of my projects, whether that be on a large-scale mural, or a piece of tiled furniture. My work also allows clay to have its voice - it moves and is alive - and I don’t want to surprise that energy. I feel very at home in a studio environment and love the juggle of different projects at the same time. The one theme that links everything is tiles, but they are so diverse in size, colour, form and surface, that I feel energised and excited to be in this for the long haul.

4. What is your defining or proudest moment as a maker so far?

So far I like the evolution of my practice. Taking on projects that are out of my comfort zone has been a constant. Sometimes the match isn’t a good one and I know not to go back. But lots of times I can span different worlds and make connections from a fresh perspective, creating something interesting in the process. After achieving certain things on my early bucket list, such as attending Royal College of Art, various international residencies, receiving a Jerwood Makers Award and undertaking the ceramics residency at the V&A Museum, I am finding joy working with a wide variety of clients on a number of projects that I wouldn’t have predicted possible when I started out.

5. What is your dream project?

I love working on site-specific projects where I can research the place and the people who live there, and make work that responds to my findings. Considering who and how they exist in the space is crucial, and finding bespoke routes to form, colour and pattern surprises everyone involved. The dream project, in the context of The New Craftsmen, would be to create a domestic environment where all the surfaces of a room were wrapped in my tiles. A living installation.