SIRPLUS IN CONVERSATION: Ronaldo Wiltshire
Growing up with two parents as potters meant that Ronaldo Wiltshire was exposed to the beauty of pottery and the skill that it takes from a young age. After suffering from joint issues and subsequent mental health conditions, Ronaldo started to use clay as a form of physical therapy. We caught up with him to talk about his inspiring journey and what he’s doing with his London-based ceramics studio, Motions of Clay.
Ongoing joint issues during his mid-twenties meant that Ronaldo temporarily lost mobility in his left arm for nearly 8 months. Until this point, he’d been involved in the production of the ceramics that were being created by his parents from their studios, but it wasn’t until he was faced with these very difficult physical challenges that he really became involved in actually creating ceramics. Ronaldo already understood the power that working with clay could have on his mind; before losing his mobility, he suffered from anxiety and found that working with clay sparked motivation and alleviated some of his condition. Creating beautiful ceramics had such a profound impact on his life that he decided to write a business plan and within a year, opened Motions of Clay.
Ronaldo is a busy guy; when he’s not lecturing at college, creating ceramics for Motions of Clay or teaching workshops, he’s helping run his father’s studio, Hamiltion’s Pottery, in Barbados. “I know that my father’s studio has already laid a foundation for me in Barbados and I do want to spend a lot more time on the island, working alongside my family,” he says.
“Motions of Clay is my baby and there’s a lot more that I’d like to do with the business in terms of growing it and helpful to get more young people involved in ceramics,”
Ronaldo is showing no signs of stopping, with plans for a bigger studio, filled with independent makers, and a vested interest in inspiring a new generation of young potters who might not have considered having a career in the industry but would flourish in it. We can’t wait to see what’s next for Ronaldo and Motions of Clay.
Check the Motions of Clay website to book classes, or if you happen to be in Barbados, visit Hamilton’s Pottery.