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Lucy Baxendale | Artist

@baxenburg

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2003

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Ceramic Artist exploring imagined worlds through automatic drawings, sculpted porcelain & sometimes electronics⚡️UK

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Do you remember all of that time I spent writing an Arts Council DYCP proposal in the moments around fairs and exhibitions earlier this year?
Notably, taking my laptop to Ceramic Wales and writing in the early hours in my Berlingo B&B before getting up to do the fair…

Well… I'VE BEEN SUCCESSFUL!! 🥹✨

Genuinely can’t believe it.

In all honesty, even writing a grant proposal felt like a massive deal - I find the whole process pretty off-putting and overwhelming, so actually getting the thing written and submitted felt like an achievement in itself.

Now knowing that I’m going to have a whole year to learn how to make automata - and hopefully develop and make more advanced interactive pieces - is an absolute dream come true.

I’m feeling super grateful, and I am still processing the news and what this means for my practice. Honestly feel like this could not have come at a better time. 🙏

Also hugeee props to @mandagraham_uk - not only an incredible human being, but someone who is SO skilled at taking the tangled ball of wool that is the brain of a creative person and somehow making it make sense on paper. 😂🙏 Thank you thank you!

I’m so excited to see where March 2027 - Feb 2028 takes me ❤️
Massive thanks to @aceagrams for deciding to fund my proposal! 🙏🙏 by @baxenburg

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7 days ago

Such a gorgeous evening at the private view of The Alchemist Gallery in Sheffield ✨

Tucked away on Fulwood Road, this beautiful space is a real treat in itself.. and then you discover the art inside… 😍

The Art of Alchemy brings together an inspiring collection of artists and makers, celebrating creativity, craftsmanship and the transformation of materials into something truly special.

I am honoured to be part of this exhibition, and loved taking my time wandering through the gallery, discovering new pieces and soaking up the atmosphere. There’s something so lovely about seeing art in a space that feels intimate and considered.

A big thank you to Polly, David and the team at The Alchemist Gallery for such a wonderful evening 🤍 It was so lovely to chat to some of the other makers and see their gorgeous work in real life.

Definitely one for art lovers to have on their radar!
@thealchemistgallery

#TheAlchemistGallery #SheffieldArt #Sheffield #TheArtOfAlchemy #ArtExhibition taken in Fulwood Road by @baxenburg

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14 days ago

I know there are still a few months to go, but here are my last fairs of 2026! 😱✨

Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair
@great_northern_events
📍 Victoria Baths, Manchester
📅 16th–18th October

Art in Clay Farnham
@art_in_clay_farnham
📍 Farnham Maltings
📅 14th–15th November

The Courtyard Festive Artisan Market
📍@courtyard_arts , Hereford
📅 21st November

Potfest in the City
@potfest.co.uk
📍 Glasgow
📅 27th–29th November

Finishing off the year for the first time in Glasgow! ✨️
A city which has always held a special place in my heart 🥰 so it feels like a pretty good way to finish off the year!

I’d absolutely love to see you at any of these, let me know if you’re planning on coming along to one! 🥰 by @baxenburg

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2 months ago

What a lovely preview evening at the Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair 🥰✨

Of course, here’s my annual stand pic!
It’s been a turbulent few days getting here, but it feels so good to be back. ❤️

I’m here all weekend and looking forward to more lovely chats, catching up with familiar faces and meeting new ones along the way.

Scroll through for a little tour of my stand! ✨

@great_northern_events

#GNCCF #GreatNorthernContemporaryCraftFair #ContemporaryCraft #MakersMarket #ShopIndependent by @baxenburg

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5 hours ago

I sometimes think about the strange relationship between the time it takes to make something and the time it takes to look at it.

A piece can take days, weeks, months of my attention, and then it can exist on someone's screen for two seconds 🤷‍♀️

I don't think those two seconds make the time spent making it irrelevant - if anything, the slowness is a big part of why I make things.

There is something so satisfying about getting lost in a process, an idea, a drawing and giving an object more time than it maybe needs to exist.

Really looking.. tweaking.. Refining. Evaluating how it relates to the space around it. Evaluating how you relate to it.

In a world that is moving so quickly, how precious it is to have a practice that cannot be rushed, and one that will only get better with time ❤️ by @baxenburg

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19 days ago

✨ Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair ✨

There’s so much that goes on behind the scenes of preparing for a fair that people don’t always see.
I’ve been putting so much into getting ready for Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair that I’m now at the point where I’m right on the cusp of a flare-up. ❤️‍🩹

This is one of the realities of being chronically ill that can be difficult to explain. Every extra task, every bit of physical effort, every late night and every decision comes with an additional layer of consideration. It’s not simply a case of doing the work and getting on with it; it’s also weighing up what my body can manage, what it might cost me afterwards, and how much I have left in the tank.

I don’t share this for sympathy, but because I think it’s important to be honest about what goes on behind the scenes. I love what I do, and I care deeply about showing up, creating things and making this fair a success - but loving what you do doesn’t make you immune to the realities of chronic illness.

So, if you see me over the coming days and I’m a little slower to speak, seem distracted, say something a bit mindlessly, or don’t seem quite as present as usual, please know that I’m trying my very best. I might be struggling to find my words, processing things a little more slowly, or simply trying to get through the day without pushing myself further than I already have.

There’s so much effort that goes into appearing ok when your body is quietly telling you otherwise. Sometimes, just turning up takes more than people realise.

A little patience, understanding and kindness go a long way, and if you see me there, please know how much it means to be able to do what I love, even when it comes with these extra challenges.

I am doing my best ❤️ by @baxenburg

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3 days ago

Honestly, even with an incredible photographer capturing my work (thanks @danbarkerstudios ❤️), there's still nothing quite like seeing it in the flesh.

The textures, the scale, the little details, the way the light catches a surface. Some things just can't be fully captured in a photograph. You need to get up close, walk around, and experience them for yourself.

There's also another reason to come and see things in person… 👀

I'll be bringing a selection of interactive pieces that respond to your touch. These aren't just pieces to look at, they're pieces to experience.

Come and have a proper look at Great Northern Contemporary Craft fair. I'd love for you to see the difference for yourself.

📅 Private view - 15th, then open 16th - 18th October
📍GNCCF Manchester, Victoria Baths
Book your tickets at @great_northern_events by @baxenburg

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4 days ago

One of my favourite vases to emerge from this last glaze firing ❤️
I love how they are all one of a kind, and how they still sometimes surprise me in the way they come to life.

Inspired by one of my automatic drawings, with a touch of dark blue staining.

Coming with me to @great_northern_events GNCCF next week 🙏✨️

Excuse my paint covered hands, im currently multi tasking like a pro 😂 by @baxenburg

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5 days ago

Turns out being a ceramicist also involves being a carpenter, painter, lighting technician, packaging department and professional car Tetris player 😅
Although I do probably enjoy that last one the most 👏

There’s a surprising amount that goes into getting ready for a fair beyond making the work itself. Building and painting plinths, figuring out how to display everything, pricing and wrapping approximately a million things and somehow squeezing it all into the car.

All to create a little space where our work can be seen, lived with and hopefully find its way into someone’s home ❤️

A little peek at what goes on behind the scenes as I'm get ready for @great_northern_events Great Northern Contemporary Craft fair.

The countdown is on! Who’s coming? 👀✨

📅 15th - 18th October
📍Victoria Bath, Manchester by @baxenburg

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5 days ago

Really happy to have sent work to the super lovely @MAKEsouthwest for the second time this year. This time, it’s pieces from my homeware range, heading to their seasonal ‘Under the Tree’ exhibition. 🎄✨

I’ve also sent lots of decorations along too, ready to get everyone feeling festive! 🎁
Although, who says they can *only* come out at Christmas?! 😉

So lovely to be part of this exhibition celebrating the work of talented makers and creatives, full of unique pieces perfect for gifting and adding a little handmade magic to Christmas 🥰

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#MSWUnderTheTree #MAKESouthwest #Homeware #Handmade by @baxenburg

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6 days ago

Hard to believe that in just over a week, it will be @great_northern_events GNCCF Manchester at the glorious @victoriabaths 😍✨️

I cant believe how quickly October has come around and Im feeling a little more unprepared than usual 😅 heres to hoping things come together in the way they usually do! 👏

This week Im making the last of the work I will bring with me, including a mix of sculptural vases, baubles & of course a new selection of interactive pieces ❤️

Im looking forward to seeing how you feel about them all 🥰 let me know if I will see you there! 🤗

✨️15th - 18th October
✨️GNCCF, Victoria Baths, Manchester by @baxenburg

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11 days ago

I love making sculptures with secrets - things that respond when you touch them, if you’re brave enough to interact.

There’s something slightly strange about ceramics being such a tactile, physical process, and then the finished work being placed behind glass with a very clear 'do not touch' implied.

I completely understand why, but touch is such an integral part of making - the pressure of your hands, the marks you leave behind, the feeling of the material changing as you work with it. It feels natural to me that some of that should remain in the finished piece.

So, I’m enjoying making work that rewards touch. Work that gives you a little something back when you reach out and interact with it.

Maybe a light comes on. Maybe something moves. Maybe the sculpture gifts you a poem or whimsical task to take away with you.

You just have to be brave enough to touch it ✨️ by @baxenburg

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8 days ago