One of the exhibitors at Ocean Talks 2025 is Kurt Alexander, a ceramicist who is using his work to highlight coral bleaching and ocean conservation. Ahead of the event, Alexander tells BOAT about the inspiration behind his work.
Can you take us back to the beginning? What first drew you to ceramics?
I started to take an interest in ceramics at high school, doing an applied art GCSE at a local college. Ceramics is not taught in our schools anymore and the majority of my family has, at some point in their lives, worked in the ceramic industry; some at Wedgwood, Royal Doulton and other historic potbanks in the city of Stoke-On-Trent. The culture of the ceramic industry that surrounds my hometown is what first peaked my interest, as well as the freedom to create anything I could imagine with clay.
You specialise in bench casting and mould making. Can you walk us through the process?
After completing my education, I began an apprenticeship in ceramic manufacturing at Wade Ceramics. It was there that I met my first real mentor, bench caster Rob Dimond, who taught me the fundamentals of casting. Over time, I progressed to more intricate forms such as figurines, large vases and bespoke collections. Eager to expand my skills, I expressed an interest in mould making and began training under the head mould maker, Darren Adams. This, combined with my casting experience, gave me a strong foundation to start exploring my own designs and ideas.
Mould making is the process of creating a plaster case that can be used to reproduce a shape over and over again. I start by making a model in plaster, then cover it with more plaster to form the mould. When the model is removed, the mould holds the exact shape inside.
Once the mould is dry, I fill it with liquid clay – usually reclaimed porcelain or wild clay that I collect locally. After about ten to fifteen minutes, the plaster absorbs enough water to leave a hollow clay form inside, ready to be removed and worked on. I follow a zero-waste method, recycling any leftover clay back into new batches so nothing goes to waste.
Your work is deeply connected to the ocean and the bleaching crisis of coral reefs. Where did that passion come from and how does it inform your art?
For a long time I've kept freshwater fish; I've always enjoyed water and the sense of calmness in it. We often watched David Attenborough documentaries when I was younger and the beauty of marine life, especially on the reefs, had always caught my attention. Around the beginning of the first lockdown, I randomly found a video on YouTube by Reefbuilders and Jake Adams. I must have spent days watching different videos about how to build and maintain reef tanks – and I realised this thing that I had admired for so long was possible to recreate. I spent a few months reading and finding as much information as I could to begin my first reef tank.
I started reef keeping with a small 10-gallon tank, with two clownfish. As time went on and I became more confident with how to maintain it, I started to add leather corals and Euphyllia. As they grew, I ran out of room which eventually led me to a bigger tank. My ultimate goal was to be able to give coral frags back to the shops I originally bought from, hoping to make a difference – no matter how small – in reducing the amount taken from the ocean.
A lot of ceramics is chemistry-based and one of the critical things about running a reef tank healthily is keeping the chemistry as close to average sea levels. Once I had achieved stability in these, I started to look more into biodiversity and the research marine biologists are doing on the breeding of endangered fish and corals; projects protecting corals that are currently going through stony coral disease. My interest in reef-keeping started as a lockdown hobby project and quickly became something I am passionate about learning and trying to increase general knowledge and interest in with my ceramic work.
How did you get the idea to combine reef-keeping with ceramics?
In my final project for university I wanted to create something that brought my love for coral and ceramics together. I knew it would be a challenge to recreate textures and colours of the sea, so it became the core of my designs. I knew I was going to go as large as I could with these and thought I could really make a statement with my work to show how the reefs are being damaged.
I use glazes to recreate the feel and look of reef rocks and encrustations. To emphasise the bleaching, I use an opal glaze together with colour highlights to show the effects that many of the world's reefs are suffering due to climate change and pollution of the oceans.
What do you hope people feel or do after seeing your art, beyond just enjoying how it looks?
I hope that people will start to take an interest in the effects of coral bleaching and how much damage is being done in some parts of the world. If my work starts a conversation that increases the awareness of what can be done and should be done, or encourages someone to voice their concern over damage to marine life, my work's doing its job. Art is a chance to show a huge audience a story and to make an impact on people. I hope I get to make a difference through mine.
What’s next for you?
Next for me is the Decorative Fair in May with GreengradsUK. I will be demonstrating the techniques I use for casting my pieces and how I apply the details and textures, inviting the audience to take part and make their own pieces. Next, I’ll be showing my new coral-inspired piece for the first time at British designer Lee Broom’s new Penthouse gallery during New York Design Week.
Now in its eighth year, Ocean Talks will return to London on 12 June 2025, celebrating ocean conservation efforts in the week running up to World Oceans Day. Tickets are free but guests must register their attendance.
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