BIOGRAPHY

Philip Eglin (b. 1959) studied at Staffordshire Polytechnic (1979-82) and the Royal College of Art, London (1983-86).  He exhibits internationally and was awarded the Jerwood Prize for Applied Arts in 1996.

Eglin’s ceramic works reflect and comment on contemporary culture.  Eclectic in their references, he has likened his characteristic intermingling of cultural icons, ephemeral images, symbols of consumer culture and handwritten scripts to channel hopping.  References are made to a heterogeneous array of sources including Northern Gothic religious woodcarvings, Chinese export porcelain, English folk ceramics and the language of symbols used on contemporary packaging.  His interest in such artefacts is not solely because of their intended aesthetic, but extends to the characteristic shapes and marks that are found on the underside and backs of objects.  His most recent work explores juxtapositions of imagery related to football, religion and sex.  He works on a range of sizes making small functional vessels at one end and large-scale figurative, sculptural works at the other.

His work is held in numerous public collections including the Stedelijk Museum, the Netherlands, Mint Museum, North Carolina, USA, British Council, London, the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh and the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

In addition to his ceramic work, Philip Eglin has lectured and taught in numerous colleges and universities throughout the UK and abroad.