Hollie Thornley’s 2016 degree show at De Montfort University presented a collection of pinched tableware investigating the unspoken language of functional objects.
The project explored the semantics of domestic ceramics, how form, proportion and surface subtly instruct the ways a person handles objects. Through a series of pinched vessels, Hollie examined how we instinctively know how to hold a cup, where to grip a bowl, and how weight, rim thickness and curvature signal use.
Rather than designing through technical precision, the pieces were shaped slowly by hand using pinching techniques. This process allowed the form to retain the trace of touch, reinforcing the relationship between maker, object and user.
The resulting tableware collection questioned how far function is embedded in form, and how much of our interaction with everyday objects is guided by learned cues. By slightly shifting familiar proportions and details, the work invited reconsideration of habitual gestures at the table.
This body of work marked the beginning of Hollie’s ongoing interest in tactility, hand-built processes, and the behavioural relationship between people and objects, themes that continue to underpin her ceramic practice.
