Places to see me in 2026!
PotFest in the Pens, Penrith, 5th-7th June
Ceramic Wales, Bodrhyddan Hall, 13th-14th June
PotFest: Shaftbury, 3rd-5th July
Figure Sculpting Master Class, Nottingham, 18th-19th July
PotFest Haughley, Suffolk, 7th-9th August
Ceramics in Southwell, Southwell, 30th August
Wirksworth Festival, Derbyshire, 12th-13th September
Long Eaton Art Room Winter Show, Long Eaton, 14th-15th November
PotFest in the City, Glasgow, 27th-29th November
TOASTED Ceramic Fair: Long Eaton: Nottingham, 5th December
Do follow my Instagram for more details closer the event or check out the shows online for more information!
Artist Statement
David William Sampson’s practice is grounded in the idea that beauty is not found in perfection, but in the attentive appreciation of imperfection. Drawing on Sam Keen’s sentiment, “We come to love not by finding a perfect person but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly,” their work explores how perceived flaws can become sites of meaning, character, and emotional resonance. This philosophy underpins a body of work that challenges conventional expectations of refinement, particularly within the traditionally delicate medium of porcelain.
Working against established ceramic norms, David William Sampson employs porcelain in an intentionally unorthodox manner. Excess clay is pushed into surfaces, disrupting smoothness and uniformity, while glaze is used not to conceal but to emphasise and celebrate irregular textures. These gestures transform porcelain from a symbol of fragility and perfection into a material that embraces disruption, vulnerability, and tactile presence.
Central to the work is the motif of children, whose unapologetic authenticity becomes a metaphor for unfiltered existence. Like the making process itself, these figures resist rigid rules and instead embody spontaneity and individuality. Cracks, distortions, and uneven finishes are not corrected but accentuated, reinforcing the idea that imperfection does not diminish beauty, but rather defines it.
Each piece is constructed with confidence, allowing its unique “flaws” to assert identity and presence. Through this approach, the artist invites viewers to reconsider ingrained notions of beauty and value, proposing instead that true appreciation lies in seeing the imperfect not as something to fix, but as something to understand and celebrate.
About David William Sampson
David is a full time Potter working from The Long Eaton Art Rooms, coming to see the orphanage is via appointment (to ensure he is there making babies), do contact me, of follow social media to find where the travelling orphanage is next.
For more info and latest creations follow him on Instagram and Facebook