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THIS IS PEWTERS’s Ella McIntosh has won the Open Competition & Best In Show at Pewter Live 2016 with her canapé platter. The show, organised by The Worshipful Company of Pewterers, took place at Pewterers Hall this week.
British designer Sebastian Conran was the Honorary Chairman of the judges and Professor Frances Corner OBE presented the prize – a commission to produce a larger version of the platter to be used for Pewterers Hall functions and events.
Ella’s design was inspired by the seahorses which feature on the Pewterers Hall crest, and she chose to make a canapé platter to fit the competition brief: to produce an item, or range of items, that could be used by the Worshipful Company of Pewterers in its day-to-day activities.
“The competition from other pewterers was fierce – I was shocked to win first prize and even more surprised to receive the additional Best In Show award.”
This year marks the tenth anniversary of Ella’s first appearance at Pewter Live when she won the Student Competition with her piece ‘Bathroom Tiles’. Having never heard of pewter until entering the 2006 competition, Ella fell in love with the material and went on to specialise in pewtersmithing in the final year of her degree at Buckinghamshire University.
“It’s nice that I’ve been recognised again 10 years on; and that The Worshipful Company of Pewterers have witnessed the development in my work and career. I really pushed myself on this piece, to develop my casting techniques beyond my comfort zone, so I’m delighted that this has been acknowledged by the Company.”
Earlier this year Ella was part of another tenth anniversary celebration when we commissioned her to mark 10 years of our annual graduate solo exhibition award. A collaboration with the tenth winner, ceramicist Verity Howard, resulted in ‘Ten Somethings’ – a collection of 10 pewter and ceramic pieces which explore the number 10.
Ella’s canapé tray will be on display in Studio 10 from Saturday 28th May.
The ‘Ten Somethings’ are available to purchase in our online shop.