Elle Maxwell hand makes delicate, functional objects and lighting from Parian porcelain. She is led by the ceramic making process and works by casting, hand forming, carving and polishing.
After studying ceramics at Nottingham Trent University, she set up her business Speckled Grey, alongside working in the ceramics industry as a painter in Oxfordshire. During the next four years Elle worked with various contractors and designers and exhibited at shows such as Design Junction and Top Drawer before relocating and setting up her workshop in Leicester.
Elle works predominantly with parian; the cool, marble-like surface has a ‘self glazing’ quality which creates a luxurious glowing sheen to the finished work. Notable projects to date include creating multiple lighting installations for the Nandos restaurants, amongst other commissions for hotels and restaurants from Spain to Austria and the UK. Elle is motivated by sensitive interior design and how craft can enrich and diversify a
space, both public and in the home. An interest is held in the space between commercial and craft boundaries and her collections strive to combine artwork, craftsmanship, and functionality.
Elle Maxwell joined Design Nation in 2018 and is also featured in Liberty’s New Collectables for London Craft Week 2019.