OLIVIA HAMER-WEBB
Olivia Hamer Webb is a ceramic artist with a distinct sensibility, drawn to tranquillity and tactility, and to a life away from the constant hum of technology and the need for the new. In her airy Georgian home in the Cotswolds with her studio in a skylit basement below, her wheel sits at the centre of walls lined with creations that celebrate quiet, organic minimalism with a wabi-sabi sensibility. Her pieces offer stillness over decorative distraction, restraint and intention over excessive ornament, an aesthetic that echoes her philosophy. She has built a reputation over the past few years not only for her considered craftsmanship, but also for conversations about living quietly. At the same time, her series, ‘At the Wheel’, featuring guests including Benedict Cumberbatch, brings her craft to a new audience and generation.
Words by Leigh Maynard.
Photographed by Edwin S Freyer. Styled by Alton Hetariki. Makeup by Marco Antonio using CHANEL Coco Mademoiselle Make-up Collection and No.1 de CHANEL Body Serum-In-Mist. Hair by Amber Rose Peake using N°98 Beauty. Olivia appears courtesy of Premier Talents.
Olivia’s affinity with ceramics began at the age of eight, when, with guidance from her artist mother, she created bowls from recycled sea glass. “We were always working with different mediums, playing with different things and creating, growing up because my mum was an artist. But I think the moment it sparked something for me was when my mum bought me a little pottery wheel for my birthday when I was 24, and I did it as a hobby. I sat on Sundays when I wasn't working, throwing. It brought me so much peace. So, I think that started my journey.”
When Olivia takes time to pause, she wanders across the rolling hills around her home, and it is the palette and textures revealed on her walks that infuse her work and process. “I rely on nature's tones for the colours that I use for glazing. I take a lot of inspiration from the textures on trees and the colours of leaves. I really love making things that people can put things in, whether it's a mug for coffee, and that's a part of your morning ritual, or big, beautiful farmhouse vases where you can go foraging for wildflowers and bring the outside in. I really think it's lovely to have those elements placed into your home.”
Longline linen shirt by Stple
Her visual language is calm, tactile, earthy, and understated, with considered silhouettes and palette; it not only reflects nature’s beauty, but also its nuances. “I think it’s evolving as the years go on, and I'm still a very new artist and constantly finding my style, but I would say more of the farmhouse lived-in, imperfect look. I really love something to look like a human has made it,” she muses.
Olivia’s success is underpinned not only by her technical ability but also by a sensitivity to handcrafted techniques, and she admits that her work coincides with a significant shift towards handcraftsmanship. “I think because we are living such fast-paced lives where we are so online, there's such a huge yearning for old things, things that have character, things that take you away from being online. Even though we're moving in that direction, there's a huge pushback and a lot of contrast. So, I do think there is more popularity around the craft world now, and people more than ever, instead of going out and taking their mind off being in an office job, they're wanting to go to a crafty event with their friends and use their hands more than ever.”
Hailing from Somerset, and despite a short time living in London, Olivia quickly realised that city life wasn’t for her. “I am such a nature girl. I feel very at home knowing that I can walk out the door and be surrounded by trees, nature, and animals. It's just good for you. And the birds. I love opening my window to birds.” Unsurprisingly, Olivia's country life has inspired many who yearn for a less complicated life. “I get more messages about living more towards the countryside than ceramics because I think people are realising the significance, and seeing other people do it online is giving us so many ideas. I think people realise that we don't need to live like sardines. I think if you have that option, then definitely go for it.”
Olivia’s show ‘At the Wheel’ began over six months ago with the idea of sharing her love of the craft and inspiring others. “It's been in the pipeline for five years. Originally it was going to be a YouTube show of skill swapping. I wanted to sit down with another artist who works in a different medium, so they could teach me how to oil paint in one video, and I would teach them pottery. Then I got an email from my agent to do pottery with Olivia Coleman and Benedict Cumberbatch, and I nearly fell off my chair. I'm such a fan of both. I can't tell you how humble, lovely, and funny they are. I fell in love with them. They're such a good duo, and that really launched that [show] for me. I then had the belief that I can take this further.”
That production has developed with Olivia now hosting a show in London, featuring actors, actresses, and singers. “I don't know where it will go, but I know that people have a lot of fun doing that. It's quite funny because it's called an interview, you know, ‘At the Wheel with Olivia,’ but sometimes we don't even talk about questions. It's just very natural, and I can always tell they're such busy people, and they're doing an amazing job at either promoting a song or a movie, and when they come to do pottery with me, it's almost like they really relax.”
It’s a response she embraces, reflecting on the therapeutic properties of pottery and the arts in general, and how others could benefit from them if they had the opportunity, or allowed themselves the freedom within the discipline. “For me, the way that I've been raised and brought up is that I express my feelings through art, and I think so many people haven't even tried to do that because they haven't had the access and wouldn’t know where to start. Normally, when you go to do something arty or crafty, you want to be a perfectionist. When you come into it knowing that you might not keep this piece, but have fun along the way, you express more than you thought you would, and it's very primal. We are walking around as masked human beings acting like we're always fine and there are no problems, and then I think it's fun to get messy and just be human for a second.”
Looking to the future, Olivia has much to be excited about, and she talks avidly about her upcoming projects and aspirations. “I'm doing quite a few large commission collections with some amazing brands that I'm really looking forward to working on and seeing in a different light. Going from my studio here to seeing them more in a retail environment is a big step for me, especially as a young artist. Like seeing it in a space people can go in and hold it, feel it. I think that's special. I'm also looking into opening a physical space and a studio here in Somerset. I really love getting people together for workshops and events, and creating a space where people can come in and, whether it's over a couple of weeks or longer, work on a piece they can be really proud of and learn about ceramics and pottery. Or they come with their friends, their mum, their brother, and they can sit down and make something together, creating a sense of community. I'm also going to do a children's forest pottery workshop. I think that's my next big step, bringing more people together because being a potter can be quite isolating sometimes. So, to open a space and welcome people in with my little clay family. That would be special.”
As we leave Olivia’s beautiful house, the tranquillity that surrounds her and is part of her way of life leaves with us. We feel at once contemplative and inspired by her choice of lifestyle and her commitment to the handcrafted arts. Through her work, she creates a dialogue between nature and humanity, bringing the outside in. Each beautifully considered ceramic piece stands as a tribute to the flora and quiet luxury found in nature. She brings her creations to us at a time when humanity stands at a crossroads with technology, contemplating our place in this new AI existence. In that space, tactility, imperfection, peace, and nuance feel central to what it means to be human, and every pot, vase and cup, informed by Olivia’s hands and experience, feels essential and timely, standing as a reminder of what truly matters: the value of a quieter, more tactile way of living.
Full Makeup Credits: CHANEL L’eau Micellaire, CHANEL Hydra Beauty Crème and CHANEL Sublimage Le Soin Perfecteur for skin. CHANEL Les Beiges Water-Fresh Complexion Touch in B30, CHANEL Les Beiges Serum Concealer and CHANEL Baume Essentiel in Transparent for base. CHANEL Exclusive Creation Les 9 Ombres in 148 - The New Smoky, CHANEL Stylo Ombre Et Contour in 12 - Contour Clair and Noir Allure in 10 - Noir for eyes. CHANEL Stylo Sourcils Waterproof in 804 - Blond Doré and CHANEL Le Gel Sourcils in Transparent for eyesbrows; CHANEL Le Crayon Lèvres in 156 - Beige Naturel and CHANEL Rouge Coco in 165 - Crush and Baume Essentiel in Transparent for lips.
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