Kith and kiln

Nestled in Franschhoek is a family of ceramists who have been making some of the country’s most desirable pieces of pottery for more than 40 years.

The Walters family began their journey into ceramics in KwaZulu-Natal before moving to the UK and then finally settling in Franschhoek. Father David Walters and daughter Sarah are both still practising ceramists while mom Michelle runs the business, and granny Gill Anderson has retired.

VISI caught up with the family to find out more about them and the work they do:

Michelle and David, how did you guys meet each other? 

David: I got to know Gill Anderson (Michelle’s mum) first, as she was a prominent potter in Pietermaritzburg in the 1970s. I was already at UKZN. Gill was a ceramics teacher from her own studio in Roberts Road, and we became friends. I soon meet her daughter Michelle, and Gill encouraged her to come and work in my studio during the holidays. Michelle went on to do the same Fine Art course as me, where we both majored in Ceramics. We married in 1976.

Did you both go straight into ceramics after you obtained your degrees?
 
Michelle: Yes. David already had his own studio, which he built in his third year at UKZN. We married in my final year, and I joined David in developing our business in Hilton straight away. I wasn’t making pots, but did everything else that needed doing.

Sarah and Michelle, did your parents instil a passion for ceramics inside of you? 

Sarah: Yes and no. In terms of finding a career, they were determined to let me find my own course. They sent me to a very academic school, where all the other dads were lawyers and accountants. I have always known that making pots is not about making money, but a choice about the way you live your life. I was not allowed into dad’s studio as a kid. Despite their best efforts I ended up doing a Fine Art Sculpture degree at Norwich School of Art and Design in the UK. As far as passion for ceramics goes, of course I grew up surrounded by pots, but more importantly potters. I think that the warmth and love of the potters themselves is where the passion for making pots comes from.

Michelle: I don’t think it was necessarily a passion for pots, but more about self-motivation and independence. My dad retired from being a vet at the age of 45, and rather followed his passion for wood carving. My mum was already teaching pottery. It never occurred to me that I should follow a traditional course and get a proper job.
 
Why did you all choose ceramics?

David: When I was 19, and on my way to study Architecture at university, I had a heart attack. During the resulting period of recuperation I worked in the studio of Tim Morris, a friend and neighbour of my sister Jenny Hobbs. Tim was an inspirational character, a prominent English potter living in Muldersdrift. I found I had a natural affinity with clay, and the potter’s wheel. I decided then to study Ceramics at university.

Michelle: The Fine Art degree offered History of Art, Graphics, Sculpture, Psychology, Zulu and various other subjects that I loved. To choose to major in Ceramics was obvious for me.

Sarah: I didn’t choose ceramics, it found me! I studied Fine Art Sculpture in the UK. By that time my parents had already been back in SA for three years. When I graduated, I decided to join them. I found myself unsure of what to do next and, tired of me hanging around the house, dad offered to teach me a skill. For the first time I began to work in dad’s studio, on the potter’s wheel. It was then that I got addicted to the process of making pots.

Is this a lifelong passion?
 
David: Yes!

Michelle:  It is my whole life. For me, running the business day to day is my job, parts of which I love and parts of which have to be done – like any other job. I would say my passion is running the gallery, and keeping it looking fresh.

Sarah: I can’t see myself doing anything else.

What inspires your work?
 
David: Perfect form and function.

Sarah: Recently I have become increasingly aware of, and inspired by, the immense history and tradition of ceramics. It’s incredible to think of yourself as linking with such a vast tradition from all corners of the planet, across all cultures and from the very earliest archaeological records of man’s existence.

Do any of you have any other creative outlets?

David: I enjoy cooking, and especially eating. I also enjoy organising group exhibitions and festivals, like the “David Walters and Friends” at the William Humphrey’s Gallery in Kimberley,  and my recent ceramics festival “Art in Clay”. I also help to organise the Franschhoek Classic Music Festival in Franschhoek.

Michelle: Gardening, and book work.

Sarah: I love making cheesecake.

Are any of you at all influenced by the style of other members in your family? 

Sarah: Yes. With my background in sculpture, I have been very influenced by dad’s philosophy and approach to functional ceramics. We are lucky to work closely together.
 

Between you, the Walters family make up a powerhouse of ceramists. Can you tell me about your proudest moments?

David: I have been around for an awfully long time, and have found awards and prizes are not an end in themselves. Perhaps the highest accolade is having been made a Fellow of Ceramics SA, which recognises more than my studio practice.

Sarah: My biggest accolade was when Lindsay Scott, one of my favourite potters in SA, bought one of my jugs.

More information: www.davidwalters.co.za, www.sarahwalters.co.za