Dawn Youll has always been interested in the grouping and placement of objects, and the use of ceramics in particular, to create works of reflection or contemplation that provide a space in which to consider our place in the world. There is a consistent narrative element to her work that, in the past, leant heavily on historical and traditional ceramic influences such as Tang Dynasty tomb sculptures, Meissen porcelain and Royal Doulton figurines.
More recently, Youll has found herself increasingly interested in the process of perception, using her ceramic practice to look at how we forge mental links in order to understand what we see and “harness the potential of a ceramic language”. To create her pieces she often works from a photograph, which she strips back to its outline by tracing, collaging and simplifying it down to intensify its meaning. She then selects the best technique to translate the image into three dimensions by modelling, forming plaster on the lathe or on the bench.
Her work has been displayed in 22 exhibitions from London, Paris and Glasgow to galleries in Germany and Denmark. Youll has work in the V&A and Craft Council UK collections and was selected by the Scottish Arts Council and Crafts Council UK to represent the UK at the Ceramics New Generation exhibition in Paris.
She is represented in the UK by Marsden Woo Gallery in London www.marsdenwoo.com