[The Guardian] The ceramicist dishing up his life on a plate – in pictures

The ceramicist dishing up his life on a plate – in pictures

South African artist-potter Hylton Nel has been making decorative plates for more than 60 years. Though some of his handpainted designs are ornamental, most are political, and they build a personal record of Nel’s life. The plates depict the arrival of American presidents, slogans for protest movements, gay rights landmarks and, of course, Covid. “I try to get my ceramics to be just a part of life,” he says. “Like setting a table or frying an egg. That helps me anchor my art in reality.” A retrospective of his work, This Plate Is What I Have to Say, featuring 200 of his designs that tell the story of his life – and of modern times – is currently at Charleston. “It’s the same shape over and over,” he says, “but, like people, each one is different”.

• Hylton Nel: This Plate Is What I Have to Say is at Charleston, East Sussex, until 10 September

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