My guest today is British ceramic sculptor Paul Smith, who has worked full-time from his studio in North Derbyshire since 1998. Paul is known for his bold, semi-abstract animal sculptures, combining simplified forms with expressive, richly layered surfaces.

Inspired by ancient sculpture and pottery, Inuit and folk art, and his lifelong fascination with the natural world, Paul is especially drawn to horses, cattle, wolves, bears, and big cats. His recent work uses layers of slips, engobes, oxides, and underglazes to create sculptures that feel like treasured objects, marked by age and history.

Alongside his studio practice, Paul now teaches his distinctive hand-building methods through masterclasses in the UK and internationally.

You can find him here on his website: https://paulsmithsculptures.co.uk/ and on his Instagram page here: https://www.instagram.com/paulsmithsculptures/