WE’RE ALL FIRED UP FOR THE LATEST ARTIST TO JOIN LOUGHRAN GALLERY
Nobody has a way with clay or words quite like Martha Freud. While studying for a degree in furniture and product design at Kingston University in London, the British-born artist discovered ceramics, and it was “love at first sight”. Her many fans feel the same about her pieces.
Having found her material and secured a kiln off eBay to hone her practice, Freud opened her studio in London in 2008 and has been putting her witty slogans on delicate ceramics and installation pieces ever since.
A WOMAN OF HER WORDS
Her mastery of ceramics is matched only by her mastery of the English language. She stamps her beautiful porcelain tableware and candles with naughty quips, clever wordplay and philosophical reflection that celebrate both the highs and lows of life.
Her works play with both language and form, reflecting the people, conversations, and architecture she encounters as well as organic forms from the natural world.
Juliette Loughran, founder of Loughran Gallery, first fell in love with Martha’s Mixed Messages boxes, which Freud exhibited in 2021. The wall-mounted grids feature neat lines of porcelain pots, each unique and decorated with a seemingly random word. When the electricity is switched on, selected pots glow on and off in groups, illuminating to reveal a catchphrase, idea, expression, or even lyric.
Loughran says: “We recently installed a Mixed Messages box for a client and the result is stunning – a captivating blend of innovation and craftsmanship. I’ve been lusting after Martha’s teapots, too. I am so excited to see what she creates in the future.”
