Beverley Sommerville Ceramics

and GROW studios

‘Made of Place’: The Secret Lives of Alice Billing House

Beverley Sommerville’s ceramic practice engages with ideas around material and place, gathering materials from locations or events that have meaning or inspiration. This matter is then added into clay, creating bodies and collections of ceramic work that embed and capture moments in time and the essence of place.

Alice Billing House is a Grade II listed building in Stratford, originally built in 1905-1906 as accommodation for West Ham Fire Brigade. The South Block opened as artist studios in 2024, and in 2026 renovation will begin on the historic North Block to create additional artist studios.

During London Craft Week, Beverley will exhibit the collection of work created from the materials gathered before renovations began. The week will culminate in a workshop so that visitors can make their own ceramic piece using the gathered matter, creating their own artistic interpretation of Allice Billing House. Some of these pieces will also become part of the ‘Time Capsule’ project.