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A research hub of the Ceramic Design department
at Central Saint Martins.

Clay Lab

A side shot of a person in a green boilersuit rolling clay on a worktop.
Design Transforms Borders, New York Design Festival 2022 | Photograph: Kisha Bari



Clay Lab transforms ceramic practice into shared knowledge: turning experimentation, discovery and making into a living resource for learning and innovation.

Capturing and connecting knowledge generated through making, Clay Lab brings together student and faculty projects, material experiments and case studies to reveal the processes behind ceramic practice.

A shared platform and living tool that supports learning, collaboration and discovery, we want to transform individual experimentation into collective knowledge.

We are a community of teachers, technicians, students and alumni who identify ceramic design at Central Saint Martins as a space of innovation and research.

Key projects

  • A floor-level shot of clay stools and bench in an industrial setting, next to a white floor poster panel with the heading 'Design Transforms' and the CSM logo and subtext indicating that the designs are from student workshops in 2019.
    Design Transforms Borders, New York Design Festival 2022 | Photograph: Neal Camilleri.

    Design Transforms Borders

    A @NYCxDesign project: Central Saint Martins invited the public to join a live studio of ceramic-making dinners and debates, addressing learning and social justice with the communities of Sunset Park, Brooklyn, New York.

  • Clay-related drawn symbols in white on a blue background
    Decoding Ceramics project design.

    Decoding Ceramics  

    An open-access platform sharing the Erasmus+ CRAFT project outputs: an interactive European map pinpointing ceramic skills, materials and traditions; university teaching cards adaptable to studios; and a multilingual glossary .

  • An illustrated flower-pattern in blue outline on white background.
    Art codes, courtesy of CSM Clay Lab.

    Artcodes

    Beauty meets function in decorative ceramic patterns that secretly contain visual codes. Working with designers and a restaurant, we developed recognition tech and pattern collections and prototyped smart tableware with an app.

  • Ceramic figures in the shape of playful animals and vessels on display, framed by 2 hanging black and white photographic prints.
    Photo courtesy of Tony Quinn, CSM Clay Lab.

    Craftsmanship Alone Is Not Enough

    Clay isn't just traditional—it's radical. We explore how makers exploit clay's archetypes and processes to challenge assumptions, unlocking new perspectives on ceramic practice, from studio to society.

Meet some of our practitioners

  • A portrait of Tony Quinn shot from the waist up. Tony is facing slightly sideways and looking at his watch.
    Tony Quinn. Photo: Marcus Bastel

    Anthony Quinn

    Tony is Reader, Course Leader and Stage 3 Leader, BA (Hons) Ceramic Design and Subject Leader in Ceramics for MA Design: Ceramics, Furniture, Jewellery at Central Saint Martins. He has a broad creative practice ranging from education, design, writing and consultancy, working across a range of disciplines and materials. As a design consultant he works with a range of clients such as British Airways, Debenhams and Wedgwood.

  • A portrait shot of Sara, shot against a backdrop of exotic plants
    Sara Howard. Photo courtesy of the designer.

    Sara Howard  

    2020 graduate and award-winning British designer, Sara is dedicated to pioneering circular and regenerative systems in the ceramics industry. In her final year, she developed an industrial symbiosis model for ceramics, where industrial waste replaces virgin raw materials in ceramic production. In 2022, she scaled up in collaboration with Kevala, a ceramic tableware manufacturer in Bali. Sara's methods are detailed in 'Circular Ceramics', a book that empowers ceramicists to integrate sustainable practices in their work.

  • A head and shoulders shot of Stuart looking directly to camera.
    Stuart Carey. Photo courtesy of the artist.

    Stuart Carey  

    From Clay to Kiln: Stuart's passion for sharing his craft is evident in his book 'From Clay to Kiln', which demystifies ceramics for all skill levels. Committed to promoting ceramics, Stuart also serves as an associate lecturer at Central Saint Martins, a senior consultant on Channel 4's 'The Great Pottery Throw Down' and an on screen mentor for the BBC’s 'Make It At Market'. He aims to rejuvenate interest in ceramics and ensure its future success.

Explore more

  • A man in the process of pottery
    Image courtesy of Anthony Quinn

    CRAFT: Activating Pedagogy for Ceramic Education Future

    Erasmus+ funded research project.
    1 September 2020 – 31 August 2023

  • Person holding a piece of ceramic art
    'Indefinite Sensibility' by Remi Russo, 2021, BA Ceramic Design, Central Saint Martins, UAL

    Bridging heritage skills and innovation in ceramics training

    Inside the CRAFT European partnership, exploring how innovations in ceramics can co-exist with intangible cultural heritage and knowledge in pottery.

  • Five distorted human/animal ceramic figures
    PsychoPomp, Alex Morante, BA Ceramic Design 2025

    BA (Hons) Ceramic Design

    The transformational material of clay: exploring contexts of making, craft and manufacture.

  • Orange and pale blue glazed ceramic designs that resemble ring doughnuts side by side, one holds a candle, the other an egg.
    Alice Beckett 2025, BA (Hons) Ceramic Design, Central Saint Martins, UAL.

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Central Saint Martins

Contact

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+44 (0)20 7514 7444

Address

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King's Cross
London
N1C 4AA