Hi I'm Ali Ross - the face behind Nomads and Driftwood &

Alison Ross Ceramics...

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I was born in Zimbabwe and often joke that I have lived many lives, as thats how it feels sometimes! 

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My background is in equality and human resources and I found myself working in parliamentary practice for a long while. Like many, the work and toxic environment took a toll on my health and that is how I found clay. I started playing at home and fell in love with the craft.

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All my work is made by hand, without a wheel, and I make both sculptural and functional pieces. I am inspired by the elements, colours and textures of the natural world and the eclectic mix of cultures I have encountered on my journey. 

I make a lot of my own glazes and I tend work in collections, which means that I spend a great deal of time researching a topic and building around that topic through my work. You can see examples of past and present collections on this website, particularly my "Relics" collection which arose through my fascination with the Japanese aesthetic of WabiSabi. These forms do not seek mechanical perfection, but rather embody the process of emergence from my hands to reference the timelessness and gradual emergence of forms in nature. ​​​​​

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In a time when everything seems to go at such a fast pace, I am deliberately building a life that celebrates the day to day and a love for beautiful things made well and slowly. These are reminders of how beautiful the world can be and how many things connect us all.

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             AlisonR