Immediately, the patterned surface decoration of John Ward’s ceramics recalls the pre-glazed pottery of ancient Egypt and China, but the pleasingly simple graphic element of his work belies the complex hand-building of each vessel he creates. His experimentation in cutting and rejoining clay bodies results in innovative forms and textured surfaces which are often inspired by the natural elements of the landscape in which he lives and works. Ward’s ceramic artwork is found in the permanent collections of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, and The Museum of Modern Art, New York.