Bwari pottery

Yesterday we went to two of the local pottery places - at Ushafa and Bwari. Here is a picture of Stephen Mhya. Stephen runs Bwari Pottery Village on Old Suleja Road. There's an interesting intertwined ceramic story between English and Nigerian pottery behind the place. Along with several other pottery workshops (notably at Maraba near Kaduna), Bwari was set up with the support of Michael O'Brien, a student of the well-known potter Michael Cardew. Along with Bernard Leach, Cardew was one of the most influential ceramicists in the UK in the 20th century. Cardew himself spent many years living and working in Nigeria, setting up a pottery school at Suleja, where he worked alongside the renowned female ceramicist Ladi Kwali. All three went on to teach for many years at ABU in Zaria. The spirit of these cultural exchanges of techniques and wisdom of the clay lives on in the beautiful pieces Stephen produces at Bwari..