Major new exhibition honours legacy of Liverpool potter Julia Carter Preston

The centenary of celebrated Liverpool artist Julia Carter Preston (1926–2012) will be honoured this autumn through a major collaborative programme across five of the city’s leading galleries.

Titled ‘Celebrating Julia Carter Preston, Ceramicist’, the programme launches with a preview on Thursday, September 10, and opens to the public on Friday, September 11, 2026.

Coordinated and funded by the Liverpool Hope Carter Preston Foundation, the series will feature distinct exhibitions—most running until the end of the year—alongside a dedicated symposium exploring her profound impact on postwar British ceramics.

Julia Carter Preston is widely recognised for her pivotal role in reviving the ancient technique of sgraffito in the 20th century. Popularised during the Italian Renaissance, sgraffito involves scratching through a layer of clay slip to reveal a contrasting colour underneath.

Carter Preston mastered this method, combining it with metallic lustre glazes to create intricate, flowing patterns inspired by natural forms, Islamic art, and William Morris designs. Her striking bowls, plates, jars, and tiles made her highly sought after for prestigious commemorative commissions.

The centenary programme highlights these diverse influences across multiple venues, reflecting her deep roots in Liverpool’s cultural landscape. Having kept a studio overlooking the Bluecoat garden for many years, the arts centre will host two distinct displays.

The Bluecoat itself will present an historical archive of photographs, documents, and commissioned plaques, while the Bluecoat Display Centre will host ‘Made from Scratch’ until November 7, showcasing Julia’s work from local collections alongside contemporary sgraffito artists, printmakers, and jewellers exploring texture and pattern.

At Liverpool Hope University’s Creative Campus, an exhibition will feature ceramics and archival material selected from the Liverpool Hope Carter Preston Foundation’s collection, which preserves the legacies of both Julia and her father, the renowned sculptor Edward Carter Preston.

Nearby, the Walker Art Gallery will draw from National Museums Liverpool’s collection to showcase outstanding pieces acquired from the University of Liverpool, the Bluecoat Display Centre, and local bequests, tracking her artistic evolution as a master potter.

Additionally, the University of Liverpool’s Victoria Gallery & Museum will display two of Julia’s stunning 2001 lustreware pieces—a lustre glaze bowl and a lidded jar featuring sgraffito figuring—displayed alongside other highlights from the university’s permanent ceramics collection.

As a centrepiece of the programme, ‘Made from Scratch: A Symposium Celebrating Liverpool Ceramicist Julia Carter Preston’ will take place at Liverpool Hope University’s Creative Campus on Saturday, October 3, 2026.

The event will feature expert talks, film screenings, panel discussions, and a live demonstration of the sgraffito technique. Full details, booking information, and exhibition brochures will be available on the respective venue websites shortly.