Vale Van der Merwe is a Ceramic Artist working and living in the South East of Ireland since 2019. Her work is centred around the production of functional, aesthetically pleasing stoneware for the home. She also produces pieces of more artistic endeavour. Taking her inspiration from the natural world, Vale works using traditional techniques such as faceting, carving, hand building and throwing on the potter’s wheel to produce a range of textured, timeless, feminine forms in white stoneware at her studio in County Laois.

Vale’s style is informed by her time spent in Italy where she completed a Master’s degree in History of visual arts. The visual feast she was exposed to here and her native, South African heritage as the daughter of a renowned potter is combined with elements of the subtle, soft beauty of the Irish landscape.