Edmund De Waal

Edmund de Waal (b. 1964) is a British artist and writer renowned for his minimalist porcelain installations that intertwine themes of memory, loss and cultural heritage. Born in Nottingham, England, he was introduced to ceramics at the age of five by his father, Victor de Waal, an Anglican cleric and former dean of Canterbury Cathedral. De Waal's early exposure to pottery ignited a lifelong passion for the medium. He further honed his skills during a two-year apprenticeship with Geoffrey Whiting, a student of Bernard Leach, before pursuing a degree in English literature at Trinity Hall, University of Cambridge, where he graduated with first-class honours in 1986.

In 1991, de Waal received a Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation scholarship, enabling him to study Japanese language at the University of Sheffield and ceramics at the Mejiro Ceramics studio in Tokyo. This experience deepened his appreciation for the intersection of Eastern and Western ceramic traditions.

De Waal's artistic practice is characterised by the creation of large-scale installations featuring meticulously arranged porcelain vessels. These works often explore personal and collective histories, drawing from his Jewish European heritage. Notable exhibitions include Library of Exile at the British Museum and the Warburg Institute, and Elective Affinities at The Frick Collection in New York.

In addition to his visual art, de Waal is an acclaimed author. His memoir, The Hare with Amber Eyes: A Hidden Inheritance (2010), traces the history of his Jewish ancestors and their collection of Japanese netsuke, earning him several literary awards.

De Waal's contributions to the arts have been recognised with numerous honours, including being appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2011 for services to the arts.