Emily Stubbs: Where collage meets clay

Emily Stubbs is a contemporary British ceramicist based in York, whose vessels begin not with clay, but with paper. Drawing on collage, monoprinting, and an instinct for bold colour and graphic contrast, Emily builds fragmented, layered vessels that are entirely her own. This conversation explores the crossover between two-dimensional thinking and three-dimensional making – and what it means to work with full creative courage.

Show Notes

Key takeaways from this episode:

• Collage and clay can be equals - Emily works across both simultaneously, each feeding and informing the other rather than one always leading. A colour discovered in a glaze might pull her back to paper, while an interesting collage might spark an entirely new collection of vessels.

• Revisiting old sketchbooks is a genuine creative practice - returning to past work with fresh eyes can reignite directions you didn't know were worth pursuing. Emily found mark-making in a 17-year-old sketchbook that mapped directly to where her work is today.

• Working on multiple pieces at once loosens your grip - it reduces preciousness and gives you freedom to swap, play, and problem-solve across a body of work. Emily moves slabs between vessels until the composition feels right, with no fixed outcome in mind.

• Your "mistakes" may be your greatest teachers - from unexpected kiln results to a studio break-in that destroyed finished work, Emily's most defining breakthroughs came from adversity. Rather than discarding the shards, she studied them – and an entirely new body of work emerged.

• Making work to sell is a trap - authentic, expressive work is far more likely to resonate than work made with commercial safety in mind. When the work is truly yours, Emily found, the audience follows.

During the live interview, we shared some images of Emily’s artwork. Since you’re listening to the podcast version, we’ve made these images available for you below. 

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