Clarice Cliff: Colour, Courage & Ceramic Revolution
In a world of refined teacups and demure floral patterns, Clarice Cliff threw colour like confetti. Her bold, geometric designs electrified British ceramics in the 1920s and 30s, redefining what pottery could look like—and who it could be for.
Clarice Cliff revolutionised British pottery by introducing bold, Art Deco–inspired designs and establishing herself as one of the first female art directors in the industry, making ceramics accessible, joyful, and thoroughly modern.
Born in 1899 into a working-class family in Stoke-on-Trent, Cliff began as a gilder and worked her way up through various departments in local potteries. Her talent was undeniable—but it was her boldness, both creative and personal, that carved her path into design history.
Her most famous work came under the name Bizarre Ware—a riot of colour and stylised landscapes that captured the optimism (and economic strain) of the interwar years. Many pieces were hand-painted by a team of “Bizarre Girls” she trained herself.
Cliff didn’t just paint pots. She challenged the aesthetic dominance of delicate, upper-class tastes and designed tableware that reflected a changing world—one that included women workers, jazz rhythms, and factory skylines.
Her work is now collected globally, a vivid testament to how ceramics can be both decorative and defiant. Cliff made it possible for a pot to feel like a statement—of taste, of class, of colour, and of a woman’s place in art and industry.
You might also like
References:
- Duncan, A. (1999). Clarice Cliff: The Art of Bizarre. Pavilion Books.
- Wilcox, C. (2005). Women Designers in the 20th Century. V&A Publications.
- Hill, M. (2003). Art Deco Ceramics. Thames & Hudson.
