Meet the York artist who swapped primary school teaching for origami and porcelain work

“The art of folding and the development of paper folding came from China and Japan and it moved over to Britain as an art craze,” says Kate, whose research stems from her university studies.

Interestingly, origami, as it is known, is also making scientific strides.

“Origami is being used in stents for people who have had heart attacks. They use it with Kevlar to create pop up bulletproof shields. It is used in so many different ways,” adds Kate, leading on nicely to the aforementioned underwear wall art.

“Literally the pants and vest came from when I was loading the washing machine or pegging things out on the line. The Y fronts have been so popular. I was thinking ‘Y fronts, why not?’ I like draped cloth and ripples and folds, and it’s all about light and shadow and that is where the folds come from. I really enjoy folding and the magic of turning something that was 2D into 3D with a few folds,” she explains.

It was through Kate’s quest for longevity that she introduced porcelain into her technique.

“It started with cartridge paper. I love the feel and the look of it and the light and shadows. Porcelain is a beautiful clay to work with and I was trying to find ways to get the movement and ripple of light across the surface.”

Kate’s technique involves press moulding onto origami-folded material allowing her to capture the essence of folded cartridge paper in porcelain form.

Colour is added to raw porcelain, the surface and edge is rippled with origami folds to create differing effects. Work is unglazed and fired to 1250 degrees Celsius.

Kate’s collection, which she showcases under her own name, comprises abstract ceramic wall art and origami vessels. She also undertakes commissions – one of her favourites was ‘Fiesta’ – her largest creation to date - a vibrant four sectional wall art that encapsulating twisting twirling porcelain ribbons in party colours creating the vibrancy of a ‘Fiesta.’

“With that one I almost had to re-learn everything and scale up to that size.”

Kate’s artistic talents were recognised from a young age. She recalls how she, the youngest of three siblings, her brother and sister would enter art competitions in their local weekly paper – and regularly win.

“It used to supplement our pocket money, we used to win a little bit of money, but not every time.

“We were very lucky, we were always artistic as a family,” Kate recalls.

Despite her passion for art, Kate’s parents discouraged her from choosing it as a profession, so she under took a teacher training degree in Maths and Art. Her studies prompted the move to York from her native North Wales, but after meeting and marrying her husband, Richard, a former PE teacher with whom she has two sons, the county became their home.

Kate spent 25 years teaching in primary schools in Bradford, Oldham, Harrogate and York. It was, in part, the sudden death of her brother in 2012 that prompted her to make a life affirming decision.

With some money she inherited from her brother, Kate decided to pursue art as a profession.

She enrolled on a one year Foundation Degree in Art and Design at York College. “I was 49 and I was sat in a room, there were about 100 of us, and everybody was 21 and under,” she laughs at the memory.

“But my husband said I’d got my smile back, it was such a fantastic year.

“I’d always been pottering about doing art, but teaching was becoming a hard job, and I had no spare time to do things, so I immersed myself and I worked my socks off, I would do everything to the nth degree, it was such a joy.”

Kate says it also allowed her to discover herself, and made her appreciate why her parents had discouraged her from pursuing art as a career at an age when she didn’t really know what she wanted to do.

“I would have ended up going into the wrong job, but because I did this at 49 that is when I discovered I was a 3D artist. I discovered myself really.

“One of the tutors pointed out that I was always making things. I was doing a lot of folding of paper and materials. We would be set challenges and tasks to do and mine would always be structure and building with my hands. I always ended up making in three dimensions.”

Inspired by her studies, Kate continued with her art education, completing her degree in 3D Contemporary Craft at York College.

“I was very lucky, I had the support of my family and still had some of my brother’s money to finance it myself and I worked my socks off.”

As part of the course Kate learned about business plans; developing her portfolio and applying for exhibitions. She credits her tutor, the late Ed Poxon, with equipping her with the skills and knowledge she would put into practice when stepping out as an artist in her own right.

“He was an amazing and inspirational tutor. He had such a wealth of knowledge.

“I was a small fish in a very big pond. There are thousands of artists out there, and trying to get yourself known takes a lot of hard work,” explains Kate.

Living in York since 1994, a place thriving with artists, Kate feels embraced within the creative community.

“I love the size of York, it feels like a family of artists in York, so much so, I feel grateful they have accepted me into the artistic community.”

Testimony to her talent, in 2017 Kate was a UK prize winner of the Eleanor Worthington International Prize in Higher Education ‘Communicative Languages Through Visual Arts, and in 2020/21 she received the Art & Raw Talent Award for Emerging Artists. In October she was elected to Leeds Fine Artists, one of the oldest regional arts bodies in the UK and, in the same month, showcased her work at Oxford Ceramics Fair, one of the longest running ceramic fairs in the UK organised by the Craft Potters Association.

She is also part of the York Open Studios, an annual community arts event representing the best of artists and makers living or working within a 10-mile radius of the city. Kate, and her fellow artists, will be showcasing their work during the York Open Studios event on April 15, 16, 22 and 23. She is also a member of the creative studio in Stockton-on-the-Forest where she has use of the communal kiln for firing her artwork.

“I feel like I have become the person I was meant to be. I needed all the life experiences before, but it had to be put in place so I could get to this point. Now I feel I am living my best life and I am very grateful.

“I couldn’t have done it without having had all the life experience and all the support of my family.”

www.katebuckley.co.uk

wwwyorkopenstudios.co.uk.