Colin Pearson was an influential British potter who radically expanded the expressive possibilities of wheel-thrown ceramics. Trained at Goldsmiths’ College and Winchcombe Pottery under Ray Finch, he developed a strong foundation in functional pottery before establishing The Quay Pottery in Aylesford in 1961, where he produced practical tableware with richly coloured glazes and restrained decoration. From the early 1970s, Pearson increasingly explored a more sculptural approach, experimenting with softer, more plastic clay, slower wheel speeds, and freer, more gestural throwing techniques. Rather than pursuing perfect symmetry and conventional vessel forms, he embraced irregularity, movement and the physical marks of making, often altering his thrown forms and adding projecting attachments or 'wings' that gave his work a distinctive sense of energy and expression. His bold, powerful stoneware contrasted with the more refined and delicate qualities of his porcelain, while his increasingly adventurous use of glazes and colour further enhanced the individuality of his pieces. A passionate experimenter, Pearson challenged traditional approaches to pottery and demonstrated the wheel’s potential as a tool for sculptural expression. Alongside his studio practice, he was a charismatic and generous teacher at Camberwell College of Arts and the Medway School of Art, inspiring generations of potters through his technical knowledge, enthusiasm for experimentation and belief in breaking established rules.