About SUEKE
Founder of Sueke, Sue Bicks, has a passion for ceramics that started in early childhood. One of her earliest memories is of watching an elderly man throw dozens of small flower pots with such ease, dexterity and blinding speed. Sue was spellbound but it wasn’t until much later in life that she was able to have a go at pottery herself.
After years of travelling around the world working on Telecoms systems, Sue was made redundant giving her time to learn pottery and to develop her skills working with ceramics. A subsequent redundancy enabled Sue to develop her hobby into a business and Sueke was launched.
Sue simply loves to create pots that others will take as much pleasure in seeking out the right plant for as she does. Driven by texture and colour, Sue’s ceramics provide a more contemporary take on the flower pot – the antidote to the ubiquitous, imported, mass produced ones.
By layering colours over textures her pots evoke a different response according to the light. The changing effects of the light and the seasons can be enhanced by filling the pots with plants complimentary in character or colour.
The pots are hand crafted using a variety of stoneware clays that have been impressed with objects that Sue has carved (or that other people have carved for her) or found around her house or on her travels. The colours used are also influenced by places Sue has visited. The colours are applied before and between firings, then finished with a patina of age provided by different oxides. They are fired in an electric kiln to around 1250?C to prepare them for a life outdoors. Each pot is different even if it has had the same treatment and experiences as another on the way – the magic goes on after the kiln is closed and the results are beautiful and unique.