About Artist Selected Artworks News Exhibitions

About Artist

Nicholas Lees’ ceramic vessels explore the uncertainty that rests within boundaries and across thresholds. He is interested in the interaction between what is solid material and what is often considered numinous and ephemeral. This uncertainty is key to his enquiry; how to realise the physical and spatial representation of the blurred and uncertain edge.

Public collections: Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge;York City Art Gallery, Westerwald Keramikmuseum in Germany, Royal Caribbean International. Awards; 2015 Cersaie Prize at the Premio Faenza (Italy); 2010 National Sculpture Award at the Bluecoat Display Centre (Liverpool); 2012 Desmond Preston Prize for Excellence in Drawing at the RCA. Lees is visiting lecturer at the Royal College of Art, London, UCA Farnham and Bath Spa University.

B. 1973. Lees lives and works in Hampshire. He studied Ceramics at the University of the West of England (BA) and University of Wales Institute, Cardiff (MA), having previously also studied English and History at the University of Kent (BA). In 2012 he completed an MPhil by project at the Royal College of Art in London, where he originated his current body of work.

Selected Artworks

News

NEWS

3 blue floating vessels by Nicholas Lees have recently been acquired for the Fitzwilliam Museum Collection, Cambridge.

Exhibitions

2020
London Art Fair with Rabley Gallery, Wiltshire and London
Collect Art Fair with Cavaliero Finn Gallery

2019
‘Le Decor Comme Element Structurel’. Galerie du Don. France
Moncrieff-Bray Gallery Summer Exhibition
RWA Sculpture Open, Royal West of England Academy, Bristol UK
London Art Fair with Rabley Gallery, Wiltshire and London

2018
European Prize for Applied Arts, Belgium
KPP Prize for Art, Architecture and Design, is on at Sunny Bank Mills Gallery, Leeds
Homer Faber – Master Artisans, Michelangelo Foundation, Venice, IT
Reflections on Translucence. Studio Fusion Gallery, London.
Penumbra. Solo Exhibition, Rabley Gallery, Wiltshire.
To Ideal Land of Ceramics, Tsinghua University Arts Museum, Beijing
London Art Fair with Rabley Gallery, Wiltshire and London

2017
Award of Honour at ICAA Blanc de Chine competition, Musee des Confluences in Lyon, France
Tresor Contemporary Craft, Basel, Switzerland.
‘Revista Ceramica’ magazine, Spain.

2016
Naspa Talent Award Exhibition. Hohr-Grenzhausen, Germany.
‘Ornament 2016’. Old Granada Studios, Manchester.
‘The Vase; Function Reviewed’. National Craft Gallery, Kilkenny, Ireland.
XXIV International Biennale of Vallauris. France.
‘A la Recherche du Sublime’. Galerie du Don, France.
artmonte-carlo. Represented by Taste Contemporary Craft.

2015
‘Form & Frei’, Schloss Gottorf, Schleswig Holstein, Germany.
ST.ART fair, Strasbourg, with Galerie du Don.
‘Many a Slip’. Marsden Woo Gallery, London.
59th Premio Faenza, International Museum of Ceramics, Faenza, Italy.
‘Ceramics of Europe’ selected artists. European Parliament, Strasbourg.
‘Nicholas Lees and Ashraf Hanna’, Puls Contemporary Ceramics, Brussels.

2014
PAD London with Adrian Sassoon.
Ceramics of Europe. Westerwald Keramikmuseum, Germany.
‘Light Reflections’, Mint, London.
Mixed Exhibition, Marsden Woo Gallery, London.
Encounter Fine Art, Broadway House, London.

2013
Selfridges Concept Store, London.
British Ceramics Biennial Award Exhibition. Potteries Museum, Stoke-on-Trent.
The Open West. Newark Park and Cheltenham Museum and Art Gallery.
Mixed Exhibition. Marsden Woo Gallery, London.

2012
Drawing Biennial. One Church Street Gallery, Buckinghamshire.
Show 2012. Royal College of Art.
James Tower and Contemporary Ceramic Art. Gimpel Fils, London.

2011
Ceramic Art London. RCA student show.

2010
National Sculpture Award. Bluecoat Display Centre, Liverpool.

2009
5th World Ceramics Biennale. Icheon. South Korea.
European Ceramics – 12th Westerwald Prize. Hohr-Grenzhausen, Germany.

2008
10 Years On. Work from Fireworks Studio. Llantarnam Grange and touring.

2007
4th World Ceramics Biennale. Icheon, South Korea.

2004
1st European Ceramics Competition Exhibition. Amaroussion, Greece.
Westerwald Ceramic Art Competition. Westerwald Keramikmuseum Germany.

2003
53rd International Ceramic Art Competition, Faenza, Italy.

2002
Bishop Philpotts Gallery, Truro. ‘Ceramica’ festival.
Peter’s Barn Gallery, Sussex. Solo exhibition.
Ceramic Contemporaries 4. Royal College of Art. London. (Touring).

2001
Positive and Negative. Pearoom Crafts Centre, Lincolnshire.
Sculpture for St. Swithun’s Day. Red House Museum, Christchurch, Dorset.

2000
Trialog Gallery. Hohr – Grenzhausen, Germany. Exhibition accompanying symposium.

1999
The Candover Gallery, Alresford, Hants.
The Red Gallery, Portsmouth, Hants. Solo exhibition.
Peter’s Barn Gallery, Sussex.
Art in Clay, Hatfield House, Herts.
Not just Pots – New Directions in Contemporary Ceramics. Hampshire County Council Museums Service. Touring Exhibition.

1998
Ceramics From Wales. Ceramics Gallery. Sydney, Australia.
Fletcher Challenge Ceramics Award. Auckland, New Zealand.

1997
NewArt. Wrexham Art Centre.

Education
2010-2012 MPhil by project Royal College of Art
1996-1997 MA Ceramics University of Wales Institute Cardiff
1989-1992 BA(Hons) Ceramics Bristol Polytechnic
1986-1989 BA(Hons) English & History University of Kent

Awards

2015 Cersaie Prize, 59th Faenza Biennale, Italy.
2012 Desmond Preston Award for excellence in drawing. RCA, London.
2010 National Sculpture Award. Bluecoat Display Centre, Liverpool.
2004 Award of Merit. 1st European Ceramics Competition. Greece.
2003 Third prize. 53rd International Ceramic Art Competition. Faenza, Italy.

Public Collections/ Commissions

Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, UK.
Museo Internazionale delle Ceramiche, Faenza, Italy.
York City Art Gallery
Royal Caribbean International
Keramikmuseum Westerwald, Germany.
Auckland Museum, New Zealand.