Marion Mewburn Ceramic Artist

I love making teapots!

I guess my obsession with making ceramic teapots started during a trip to Greece and Germany in 1986, where I purchased the most beautiful teapot I had ever seen.

That teapot travelled with me from country to country for over a year, completely unscathed. It got broken, shattered, at my home here in Millers Flat, Central Otago.

For me, a teapot is something which is used every day. So it must be completely functional – it must be well-balanced, it must pour perfectly, and it must feel comfortable to hold. Which means all the functional elements – spout, lid and handle – must have specific characteristics in order for them to work properly. There are some ‘rules’ which can’t be broken…. Though it’s always fun (and challenging) to see just how far I can s-t-r-e-t-c-h them.

So I start with a completely functional teapot, then embroider it with textures, relief work, and sculptural and mobile elements, often with the aim of capturing humorous, poignant or dysfunctional moments in life.
I find my inspiration in life situations, cartoons, fairytales, buildings and looking at things through my magnifying glass.