Gareth Mason's work is inspired by the traditions of the Far East. His speciality is producing wheel-thrown bottle and bowl forms, which he sees as representing secrecy and openness. Mason studied at Wimbledon School of Art and then at West Surrey College of Art & Design, as it was called until its first merger in 1994. He began making pots professionally as a production thrower at Farnham Pottery, making large garden pots. It gave him his own space and some time to develop his throwing. A period as potter-in-residence at South Hill Park Arts Centre, Berkshire gave him the opportunity to teach and culminated in a solo exhibition in the Bracknell Gallery (1998). Mason works in porcelain, firing at 1280 degrees centigrade to create glassy transparent glaze in oxidisation and reduction or smooth satin whites. He is meticulous about his shapes, glaze recipes and firings. Every inch of every pot is given the same care and attention, although form remains at all times paramount. He works from his own pottery in Hampshire and between 1997 and 2020, he tutored part-time at Surrey Institute Art and Design, since 2005 now called the University of the Creative Arts (1997-2010), and at Alton College, Hampshire between 1998 and 2000. Porcelain Bowl (2005), with its splashed-on blood red decoration was purchased from his 'Celadon and Sang de Bouef’ exhibition at Bourne Fine Art, Edinburgh, Scotland in 2005 and presented by the Contemporary Art Society to The McManus, Dundee’s Art Gallery & Museum.
