Ceramist Tanya Gomez was born in Toronto, Canada in 1974. She earned a BTEC qualification in Art and Design from London’s Camberwell College of Arts in 2000, a Bachelor’s degree in 3D Crafts from University of Brighton in 2004, and a Master’s degree in Ceramics and Glass from London’s Royal College of Art in 2010. She established her eponymous studio in Shoreham-by-Sea in West Sussex in 2005. In 2010, Gomez moved her studio to Lewes, East Sussex.
Working in porcelain, Gomez uses a range of approaches in her throwing to create forms characterized by qualities of fluidity, movement, and a sense of space. She is inspired by natural phenomena, dramatic landscapes, and, in particular, the dynamic nature of the sea. (Notably, between 1992 and 1997, Gomez worked various jobs—deckhand, stewardess, and cook—on private yachts, “travelling the globe and absorbing color, shape, and diverse cultures.” Today, her studio also stands by the sea.) Some of her larger vessels are composed in parts and then assembled to produce larger surfaces that are animated through throwing and glazing. As Gomez notes: “I am fascinated by the idea of creating an overwhelming sense of something that is so overpowering that one cannot comprehend its boundaries. This sensation can be translated into a piece by following a line and using rhythm, balance, tension, or color.”
To date, Gomez has been honored with a number of awards, including a 2009 Charlotte Fraser Prize from the Royal College of Art and a 2014 Wesley-Barrel Craft Award in the Vessel Category, among others. She has exhibited at a variety of locations, including, but not limited to: Hedge Gallery, San Francisco (2011); Rocket Gallery, Roundhouse Design, and Erskine, Hall & Co in London (all 2012); Ceramic Museum in Tegelen, the Netherlands (2013); Keramikmuseum Westerwald in Germany (2014); and Yorkshire Sculpture Park (2015).
