The impetus for Nicholas Riley’s work comes from a love of the lavish patterns and brilliant colours of Iznik ceramics which, of course, also inspired William De Morgan.
Nicholas spends a great deal of time experimenting and developing materials and processes to help achieve the colours and results that he seeks. He makes his own tile bodies, which increases the risk of production failure; however he values the hand-made irregularities which give life to the surface when glazed. The deep, rich tones of his works are achieved with the use of underglaze colours and oxides.
Nicholas lives locally and devotes his spare time to creating these wonderful artist copies of original Iznik and De Morgan inspired tiles. He is enrolled as a part-time student at Putney School of Art where he develops his techniques and produces the work.
Each piece is entirely hand crafted and a one off.
Click on each item to see enlarged images and further information.