Chloé Bell

MEET THE MAKER

I am Chloé Rosetta Bell, and I’m an artist and researcher primarily working in clay. I am a Ceramics graduate from the Royal College of Art (2019), and I founded my studio just outside of Winchester in November 2019. I create site-specific ceramic objects which celebrate craft techniques, rural livelihoods and landscapes. My objects are functional yet have sculptural elements. The pieces are for domestic spaces and in art contexts where they stand as a research body.

The studio carries out a minimum of two collections a year documenting new rural landscapes/livelihoods. Alongside these new collections, there is a growing collection based on my relationship to my home, the Isle of Wight. There will be an ongoing ‘herbarium’ in the studio which will store past projects as a record.

WHAT ARE YOUR FEEDBACKS?

At the beginning of my start up business training, I felt I had a strong identity, knew the area I was passionate about and my clients, but the reality of stepping out of education and setting up viable practice was daunting. I now feel more confident with a clear business plan and have established the parameters within which I want to work– and how that is financially viable. I have learnt how to view myself as a successful practice, and with this perspective, I can achieve goals with intention.

FIVE THINGS YOU’LL BRING WITH YOU FROM THE EXPERIENCE:

• Be honest and realistic with yourself with where you are for each session to apply it appropriately. Sometimes where we see ourselves and the reality can mean you don’t take on board what you need to learn.
• Finance is an essential component for a successful studio practice, and it doesn’t have to be terrifying. Don’t expect to absorb the financial information in one go but process it over several weeks/months.
• Having goals; realistic and dream goals are essential. Write them in the present tense, step into them and believe you are capable enough to achieve them.
• Don’t compare yourself to others in your field or your peer group. We are all from different backgrounds, and ceramics encompasses different strands. You have your voice and your timeline.
• How you view yourself, and your body behaviour affects how you communicate your practice. Remember you don’t need to be complete and confident by the end of the programme. The resource and contacts they have given you are to be taken on and to continue your development.