Ceramic Sculpting by Peter Holland,

Portrait of a Master Sculptor

Peter Holland, A founder member of The Figurine Collective.

Here is a personal view of ceramic sculpting by one of our most successful artists and an account of how he finally achieved his position of pre eminence in the competitive world of figurine modelling and became a founder member of The Figurine Collective.

A Worldwide reputation.

Peter Holland is one of the UK’s leading figurine sculptors with a world reputation for his intimate portrayals and ceramic sculpting of the human form. His works of art are highly collectable and you may even be lucky enough to own one yourself. However, if you were to have told his friends, thirty years ago, that he was to have risen to such a force in the world of ceramic sculpting, they would have been totally surprised as his early career was far from the world of art.

Before he entered the world of figurine sculpture, Peter Holland had a successful career in retail. He worked as a buyer for the world famous Liberty of London and, before that was a national accounts sales manager for Jaeger.

However, it proved impossible to suppress his latent talents. Although it seemed a big step to give up his successful retail career, he felt a burning desire to follow his instincts. As he puts it, ‘It was like a small voice in the dark – taking me to wherever that might lead.’

‘You could say I began as a potter.’

It was at this moment that he decided to do something about it and he went on a short course in ceramic sculpting. Here, he made his first little pot. Anyone who has had a go at making something out of clay will understand those feelings of pride and elation when your first piece comes out of the kiln in one piece. ‘So I made a pot - that was my first hands on experience with clay…. you could say I began as a potter.’

‘I liked the sculptural element of clay and modelled a bas-relief of a rose to put on the side of my pot. I was hooked from that moment.’ He instantly knew that he wanted to develop his talents towards figurative ceramic sculpting and went to clay modeling night classes for one term. The teacher (who had worked for Heredities) urged him to approach some big companies to do clay original sculptures for them… and he did just that.

At the same time, encouraged to pursue his interest in clay sculpture, Peter Holland's blossoming talents were first formally recognized during an exhibition of his work at the Royal Miniature Society in 1993 where they accepted the maximum of five of his sculptures.

The approach to the great china houses of Royal Worcester, Wedgwood, Coalport and Royal Doulton paid off handsomely with the result that Peter was commissioned to produce figurines for them. A move that truly sealed his future path.

Peter’s next big challenge

Over the years, Peter has produced many notable models for the big companies to develop into best selling, collectable figurines. Through Compton & Woodhouse, has worked with some of the UK’s most talented designers such as Elizabeth Emanuel, Bea Das and Ian Stuart, turning their original designs into beautiful pieces of ceramic sculpting.

But the time was now ripe for Peter Holland’s next big challenge - to take over full control of the production of his finest work. By forming The Figurine Collective with his friend, designer Tony Young and his original inspiration, John Bromley, he now feels that he will be able to offer work that shows his true potential.

Future collectors will see his full vision come to life in the small limited editions of The Figurine Collective that are produced in the heart of the English Potteries of Stoke-on-Trent. Peter knows that this is a wonderful opportunity for any sculptor – to oversee his work from design to final delicate gilded detail. And he knows that nothing will be released to the public without his personal signature on the Certificate of Authenticity