LEE STEELE - CERAMIC ARTIST

​​Artist Statement
​Lee’s career has traversed a diverse path from working on North Sea oil rigs to the therapy departments in medium and high security psychiatric units. Along the way he studied 3D design in York, ran his own gallery and studio in Robin Hoods Bay and is now based in East Yorkshire.
Lee’s current collection of studio ceramics "Salvage Ware" is inspired by the industrial and coastal landscape and the way in which the processes of erosion and corrosion change and distort the materials and fabric of industry.
By combining clays, oxides, slip and glaze Lee designs and creates thought provoking, original, hand-built retro-industrial pieces where functionality has been tempered by the corrosive nature of environment and time.
Lee has work exhibited in several galleries in Yorkshire and forthcoming group exhibitions in London and Lisbon and sold his first piece of Salvage Ware to a member of Arts Council England. He regularly works with York University Archaeological department and has run workshops for the Leeds International Medieval Congress and the Royal Armouries. He has also had commissions sent as far as Kazakhstan and Saudi Arabia.
​

CV
Lee Steele
Email:               [email protected]
Website:           www.leesteele-ceramicartist.com
 
Education 
1994 - 1996
BTEC HND 3D Design Crafts
York College of Further & Higher Education, York.
 
Selected Group Exhibitions 

23rd July to 5th August 2019
OIL & RUST
Castle Douglas Art Gallery
Market Street, Castle Douglas, Kirkcudbrightshire
Scotland, DG7 1BE

October 2018   LISBON INTERNATIONAL CONTEMPORARY EXHIBITION 2018
                        Atelier Natalia Gromicho, Lisbon, Portugal
                        
July 2018         Sculpture & Ceramics Exhibition, 5th Edition.
                        The Royal Opera Arcade Gallery & La Galleria Pall Mall, London​                       
 
2017                Offenhauslive – International On-line Exhibition
                        Annual Summer Exhibition
 
2017                A Baker’s Dozen – Ceramics & Sculpture from 13 Selected Makers
                        Art in the Mill, Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, England
 
2016                Inspirations – Visual Communication between 8 Artists
                        The Gallery on the Wolds, Bainton, East Yorkshire, England
 
2015                Land Meets Water
                        Pop Gallery, Kingston-upon-Hull, East Yorkshire, England
 
Collections 
Towcester Museum, Northamptonshire, England 
Benningbrough Hall, North Yorkshire, England 
National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Astana, Kazakhstan 
National Museum, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia 
Works held in private collections in United Kingdom and Norway.
 
Teaching 
2009 - to present
I run adult and family pottery classes at my studio in Holme-on-Spalding Moor, East Yorkshire, England and pottery workshops at external locations including schools, museums, historical fairs. (For details of classes etc. please visit my website - www.thepotterman.co.uk)
 
2017/2018        Guest speaker/workshops
                         Department of Archaeology, University of York, England
 
2016                Guest speaker/workshop – “When I perhaps compounded am with clay”
                        Leeds International Medieval Congress
                        University of Leeds, England
 
2016                 Guest speaker/workshops                    
                         Making History 
                         Royal Armouries, Leeds, England
 
1998-2008        Activity session leader/Technical instructor
                        Various secure and medium secure specialist care settings.