The Joanna Bird Foundation is producing a new documentary about master potter Michael O’Brien. A vital yet lesser-known figure of British ceramics, O’Brien is the last link to the British Studio Pottery movement as a peer of Bernard Leach and Michael Cardew and represents a crucial bridge between the UK & Nigerian craft traditions.
This film will be the first to show O’Brien, his work, and the ongoing legacy of Anglo-Nigerian pottery. It will portray Michael’s lifelong dedication to his craft and how he has humbly mentored a generation of the most celebrated potters, including his ongoing collaboration with Nigerian potter Stephen Muya. Now, at the age of 95, Michael has developed a series of sustainable glazes that could revolutionise ceramics in West Africa.
We believe Michael’s incredible story and influence deserve a wider audience and will be an invaluable inspiration to so many people in the craft as a bridge between the craft communities of Nigeria and the UK.
Such a project cannot be undertaken without funding. We hope you will consider supporting this vital project and help us honour the life and work of this remarkable artist.
About Michael O’Brien
Michael has spent much of his time in Nigeria continuing the work initiated there by Michael Cardew. Originally a painter, he became interested in pottery in 1963 and travelled to Nigeria to study with Cardew, staying with him until 1965. On his master’s retirement, O’Brien took over the Pottery Training Centre in Abuja (now Suleja) and ran it until 1972. During this time, he made several important innovations, including designing a new style of kiln there. He also ran Cardew’s Wenford Bridge Pottery for three years, before teaching at the Ahmadu Bello University.
Though not one to seek the spotlight, Michael’s mentees include celebrities of the ceramics world, including Ladi Kwali OON NNOM MBE, Magdalene Odundo DBE, Asibe Ido, Danlami Aliyu, Stephen Muya, Philip Wood, Miranda Thomas, William Plumptre, Charles Bottin and more. He has helped found potteries at Minna, Suleja, Jacaranda, Bwari, Tatiko, and in Rwanda. He has also built more than 50 wood-fired kilns over the course of his life, including the kilns at the University of Nigeria and Ahmadu Bello University. At the age of 95, Michael is still making pots and mentoring potters on exciting new projects.
New Glaze Research
One of the great restrictions to glazed ceramics in West Africa, and one of the main inhibitors to the Cardew legacy of glazed stoneware typified by the work of Ladi Kwali and Danlami Aliyu, is access to materials and machinery. Costly Western imports, access to laboratory testing and heavy processing equipment, all hinder the economic viability of making glazes. The environmental impact of wood-fired kilns, in terms of consumption and emissions, also makes the practice less environmentally sustainable.
Of the Cardew tradition, Danlami stated ‘I think that Abuja Pottery was too advanced for the traditional potters: they could not train in the chemistry of glazes, and they could not afford to buy the machinery, so they thought that it was something only the Government could own‘.
This situation, alongside witnessing the deforestation in Abuja and the surrounding area, fired Michael’s determination. He set about planting trees and creating a new efficient kiln design, succeeding in halving firing times, while using less firewood to gain twice the previous output.
Now, Michael has created a series of new glazes which use indigenous Nigerian materials, are simple to make and fire at lower temperatures. These radical new recipes, trialled by Stephen in his pottery at Bwari, have already proved a great success. They could transform the potential of this tradition by making glazed pottery economically accessible, self-sufficient, and environmentally sustainable for makers across West Africa for the first time.
We want to capture Michael’s contribution, his legacy and craftsmanship, as well as his vast library of research in order to inspire future collaboration between generations of artists and craftspeople in West Africa and the UK.
The Film
To achieve this, we are working with several experts to make our documentary. We have partnered with Alex J. Wright, leading filmmaker for the arts with well over a decade of experience making craft documentaries for the V&A, Goldmark Gallery, and ourselves.
Ozioma Onuzulike, professor of ceramics and Director of African Studies at the University of Nigeria, has written about Michael’s contribution to Nigerian ceramics and will be joining our film to provide expertise on West African ceramic history, ensuring relevance for Nigerian audiences and foregrounding their perspectives. Tanya Harrod, award-winning art historian, author on craft and preeminent expert on Michael Cardew, is leading interviews with Michael about his time in Nigeria and current glaze research. A number of Michael’s former students, such as Philip Wood, Miranda Thomas and Charles Bottin will testify to his influence and philosophy.
We have also partnered with major ceramics institutions in both the UK and Nigeria, including the Crafts Study Centre, Centre of Ceramic Art, the Crafts’ Council, Aberystwyth University, and the University of Nigeria. We are delighted to announce that this project been awarded funding from the Arts’ Council England.
Through an observational, autobiographical approach, we will show the enduring friendship between Michael and Stephen as they work together to fire work by the late Danlami Aliyu using Michael’s new glazes at his pottery in Epsom. These pieces by Danlami have remained unfired at Michael’s pottery since Danlami’s death in 2012. We will also see the lasting impact of Michael’s legacy as we travel to Nigeria to witness the success of the Bwari Pottery that he founded with Stephen. We hope that this film will preserve the importance of the Cardew tradition, inspire further cultural and artistic exchange, and encourage future artists to learn from Michael’s approach to sustainable practice.
We Need You!
This documentary is being made thanks to the generosity of supporters like you. With your help, we can bring this remarkable story to life and make the film freely accessible to audiences in the UK and Nigeria. Every donation helps us to reach the funding needed to match the Arts’ Council’s grant and realise this film. We are hugely grateful to everyone who has already donated. If you would like to be part of making this film possible, please donate via the link below or via our GoFundMe page HERE.
