Biography
Fenella Elms (b. Münster, Germany 1964 - d. Wiltshire, UK 2022) was a contemporary ceramicist based near Swindon, Wiltshire, UK who was inspired by natural forms, rhythm and motion. Her work was recently presented at galleries including Contemporary Applied Arts, London (2014); Bluecoat Display Centre, Liverpool (2015); and Collect, Saatchi Gallery (2015). In her previous career, Elms worked in mental and occupational health. Dreams, instinct and the subconscious continue to influence her practice. Her work is of special interest to Swindon Museum and Art Gallery as she studied ceramics at Swindon College (graduated in 2008) and was taught using many of the ceramics now in the museum’s collection. For her Large flow pot (2014) Elms used beads in white and cobalt as a reference to traditional cobalt decorated pots. The craftsmanship, scale and traditional references of Elm’s practice complement Swindon Museum and Art Gallery’s existing craft collection while demonstrating important trends in contemporary ceramics.
