Clay & Thread: Clare Spender and Hayley Rowlands

A two-person exhibition by textile artist Clare Spender and Suffolk-based potter Hayley Rowlands, who share a deep connection to the coastal landscape.

Clare Spender, a Farnham UCA MA graduate with a long background in community arts and conservation work, builds intricate narratives through embroidery, soft materials and material history. Hayley Rowlands, who appeared in series 8 of Channel 4's The Great Pottery Throwdown, turns the irregular forms of shoreline rocks, hagstones and tides into stoneware sculpture and ceramics. Together their work sets up a tactile dialogue between clay and thread, drawing on the textures, contrasts and spirit of the coast.