Blair Leeson is a non-binary artist and crafter based in Dundee. They graduated in Fine Art from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design in 2021. After graduating they joined the committee at local artist run initiative, Generator Projects, and have been involved with the programming and running of exhibitions, events and workshops. Blair also spent two months on the Black Isle in 2021 working for and learning from potter Bärbel Dister. This experience was invaluable in advancing their ceramic practice, especially working with earthenware clay and slip decorating.
Blair works primarily with clay and has a strong interest in Scottish folklore practices. Drawing inspiration from the local landscape - referencing moments captured in a rushing burn, the gleam of Highland water, the crashing waves on the coastline, the sludge of algae on a rock - their practice aims to use the material of clay to carry memory and experience and to curate installations that evoke a sense of place.
For RSA New Contemporaries, Blair has made ceramic works that reflect their experiences of Scottish landscape, alongside hand knitted fishing nets and found objects. The process of working with the clay and knitting the yarn allows Blair to entwine their memories; held in their hands, pushed into the clay and woven into the nets. Found objects are collected from places all across Scotland, creating a universal image of the landscape.
The pieces represent the time and place in which they were gathered; forced to pause on their growth or journey across the landscape - a tapestry of moments, memories and places sewn together.
