Frances Priest
Frances Priest’s current work explores and interprets languages of ornament from different cultures, places and periods in history. The work is heavily influenced by a book she grew up with, The Grammar of Ornament by Owen Jones, first published in 1856. As a child, Frances read this book from cover to cover, and so began her love of pattern. In her late twenties, Frances spent a period travelling abroad, she started to take photographs and make drawings of patterns she observed, from the arrangement of tiles on a temple roof to the embroidered silks on market stalls. She was intrigued by the decorative language that covered the surfaces of all the buildings she saw, the different flora and fauna she experienced and this gave her the direction for her current work in clay.
From her Edinburgh studio Frances creates intricate and colourful ceramic objects that celebrate this fascination for ornament and pattern, using clay as a canvas on which to build richly drawn and layered surfaces of inlaid line, glaze colour and enamel decals. The results are intricate and beautiful.
Beyond the studio Frances develops projects and commissions that respond to people and places, using her interests as a platform from which to engage with new environments. This approach has lead to work in varied and sometimes unexpected settings, from an English Tudor banqueting room in Sheffield, to a tiled corridor for The Royal Edinburgh Hospital, an NHS hospital specialising in mental health, to a country home on the Scottish Island of Raasay.
Frances’ work has been acquired by a number of museums including the National Museums of Scotland Edinburgh, The Fitzwilliam Museum Cambridge, The Victoria & Albert Museum London, The International Museum of Ceramics Faenza, Italy and The International Museum of Contemporary Ceramics Ichon Province, Korea.
In 2018, Frances’ work was selected by the Michaelangelo Foundation for Homo Faber in Venice. The work was included in the Best of Europe exhibit where hundreds of exceptional works were showcased created by some 150 artist-artisans from all over Europe.
Frances obtained a 1st Class BA Hons and her PG Diploma in Ceramics from Edinburgh College of Art in June 1998/9.
See Our Feature on Frances Priest
Read our Interview with Frances Priest
See Frances Priest in Our Collecting Craft Feature
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Medium Vase Form, Kirkcaldy Patterns IV, 2021 SoldView more details
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Small Vase Form, Kirkcaldy Patterns V, 2021 SoldView more details
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Small Vase Form, Kirkcaldy Patterns VI, 2021 SoldView more details
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Small Vase Form, Kirkcaldy Patterns VII, 2021View more details
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Small Vase Form, Kirkcaldy Patterns VIII, 2021£ 1,980.00View more details
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Tall Vase Form, Kirkcaldy Patterns I, 2021 SoldView more details
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Tall Vase Form, Kirkcaldy Patterns II, 2021 SoldView more details
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Tall Vase Form, Kirkcaldy Patterns III, 2021View more details
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Collection, Kirkcaldy Patterns , 2022£ 1,980.00View more details
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Collection, Kirkcaldy Patterns IV, 2021 SoldView more details
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Collection, Grammar of Ornament, Byzantine No 3, 2020 SoldView more details
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Vase Form, Grammar of Ornament, Byzantine No 3 Colour, 2020£ 4,300.00View more details
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Gathering Places, Grammar of Ornament, India Series II, Small with Plinth, 2017 SoldView more details
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Gathering Places, Collage iii, 2017£ 4,400.00View more details
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Collect Art Fair 2023
Visit Cavaliero Finn at Collect 2023 - Room W17 in the West Wing of Somerset House - 3-5 March (previews 1-2 March) 1 - 5 Mar 2023Cavaliero Finn is proud to be returning to Collect at Somerset House, London from 3rd-5th March 2023 (with previews on 1st and 2nd March). The gallery will be showcasing new...Read more -
Hint - Cavaliero Finn at Gallery 475
475 Fulham Road, London SW6 1HL 6 - 18 Dec 2022Cavaliero Finn is pleased to announce news of its next exhibition, Hint, a group show featuring pairings of two and three dimensional art works that echo each other in some way, whether it's a hint of colour, form or pattern or even subject matter.Read more -
Artefact 2022
The contemporary craft fair at Design Centre Chelsea Harbour, London 10 - 15 May 2022Artefact, is a contemporary craft fair which brings the joy of the handmade to an audience of designers, architects, collectors and enthusiasts, illustrating the increasing importance of craft to the interior design industry. It features objects of astonishing artistic merit courtesy of a host international galleries in the Design Avenue. An accompanying programme of specialist talks and demonstrations helps bring the contemporary craft to life.Read more -
Collect Art Fair at Somerset House, London
The leading contemporary craft and design fair 25 Feb - 6 Mar 2022Cavaliero Finn was delighted to return to London's beautiful Somerset House for Collect which took place this year from 25-27 February 2022 with previews on 23-24 February 2022. Cavaliero Finn presented work by 15 artists at Collect including work by Edmond Byrne, Matthew Chambers, Simon Gaiger, Ashraf Hanna, Björk Haraldsdóttir, Ikuko Iwamoto, Mimi Joung, Sun Kim, Nicholas Lees, Cecilia Moore, Frances Priest, Daniel Reynolds, Katharine Swailes, Annie Turner and Jacy Wall.Read more -
Crafting a Difference at the Argentine Ambassador's Official Residence
Part of London Craft Week 4 - 10 Oct 2021Crafting a Difference at the Official Residence of the Argentine Ambassador in Belgrave Square, London runs from October 4th -10th. The exhibition celebrates outstanding international contemporary craft set within the magnificent architecture, décor and fabric of the Argentine Ambassador’s Official Residence, in the frame of London Craft Week 2021, with support from the Crafts Council, QEST, Loewe Foundation, Michelangelo Foundation, Cockpit Arts, Design Centre Chelsea Harbour and Artegian Design.Read more -
ARTEFACT: The Contemporary Craft Fair
22 - 29 Jun 2021Attracting top designers, architects, collectors and art lovers, Artefact will feature an impressive roll call of contemporary craft and visual arts galleries including; Oxford Ceramics, Katie Jones, Lloyd Choi Gallery,...Read more -
CRAFTING A DIFFERENCE – COLLECT EDITION
12 - 30 Apr 2021From Monday the 12th of April until the 30th of April, Crafting a Difference at SoShiro will be receiving visitors to the exhibition, in person. Now that COVID restrictions have...Read more -
Crafting a Difference at SoShiro – London Art Fair Edition
22 Jan - 15 Feb 2021We are proud to be part of Crafting a Difference at SoShiro – a physical exhibition of innovative craftsmanship housed in a beautiful townhouse in Marylebone, London. Curated by Brian...Read more -
London Art Fair Platform 2021
Folk Art 20 - 31 Jan 2021From 20th – 31st January Cavaliero Finn will be presenting work by four artists as part of the London Art Fair PLATFORM 2021 , which is of course online only...Read more -
FOCUS/20
Cavaliero Finn presents work by eight leading ceramicists 14 - 25 Sep 2020We are back from a short summer break and, for the first time since lockdown, we are exhibiting again and the good news is that there’s still time to see...Read more -
Collect 2020
27 Feb - 1 Mar 2020Earlier this year Cavaliero Finn exhibited at Collect, the Crafts Council’s international art fair for modern craft and design, held at Somerset House, Collect’s new venue, showcasing the work of...Read more -
Alter
27 Nov - 1 Dec 2019“Alter”, a ceramic exhibition presented by Cavaliero Finn at Fitzrovia Chapel examines the transformative qualities of clay and the belief in the transformative power of material thinking through innovation and experimentation.Read more
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Collection, Kirkcaldy Patterns , 2022£ 1,980.00
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Medium Vase Form, Kirkcaldy Patterns IV, 2021 Sold
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Small Vase Form, Kirkcaldy Patterns V, 2021 Sold
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Small Vase Form, Kirkcaldy Patterns VI, 2021 Sold
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Small Vase Form, Kirkcaldy Patterns VII, 2021
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Small Vase Form, Kirkcaldy Patterns VIII, 2021£ 1,980.00
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Tall Vase Form, Kirkcaldy Patterns I, 2021 Sold
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Tall Vase Form, Kirkcaldy Patterns II, 2021 Sold
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Tall Vase Form, Kirkcaldy Patterns III, 2021
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Collection, Kirkcaldy Patterns IV, 2021 Sold
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Collection, Grammar of Ornament, Byzantine No 3, 2020 Sold
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Vase Form, Grammar of Ornament, Byzantine No 3 Colour, 2020£ 4,300.00
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Gathering Places, Grammar of Ornament, India Series II, Small with Plinth, 2017 Sold
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Gathering Places, Collage iii, 2017£ 4,400.00