The Maker
Two primary themes underpin artist turned designer Snowden Flood’s work. The first is her love of working collaboratively with quality factories for quality heritage making. She’s worked like this for 30 years, starting at a local shipbuilding steelworks to fabricate elements for sculptures, to the fine bone china factory in Stoke that makes her ceramics today. The second is an embrace of diversity, working across many materials, using the best medium for each concept and exploring a wide variety of themes. Snowden’s designs embrace home, belonging and place; a fascination with the stories, narratives and emotions provoked by and attached to locations; and the vintage ephemera that tell these stories.
The Object: River Series Mug Set, original 6 created in 2007, 2 more added in 2020
8 h x 7.5 cm diameter. 11 cm wide at handle. 100% British made fine bone china. £120 for the set of 8.
The Making
In the 1990s Snowden lived in New York City. She began collecting 1930s to 1950s souvenirs of the USA at flea markets. Being homesick, she started a project drawing landmarks from a favourite Thames-side walk. Later she moved back to London and launched her own design business. The mugs feature Snowden’s hand-drawn designs, screen-printed onto a transfer which is hand applied and fired at the factory in Stoke on Trent. Snowden works closely with her supplier as she develops each new range.
Snowden Flood on her Signature Style
‘This was inspired by my desire to connect to a place or landmark, reflected in my ability to own and carry away a piece of it – via a souvenir. Quality making was a threatened part of UK heritage so I sought a Stoke based ceramics factory to work with. It is by far the most popular item I’ve ever made. ‘
Expert Eye
Snowden has a wonderful eye – for nature, for shape, for light and for colour. The complimentary colour palette in this series makes it the perfect gift for lovers of London, architecture, the river and tea. Adam Thow (Historic Royal Palaces)