Edmund de Waal

Edmund de Waal is a renowned contemporary author, poet, and artist from England. He is celebrated for his literary works and visual art, often using objects as vessels for history, emotion, and human narrative. De Waal's installations of handmade porcelain vessels, often housed in minimalist structures, revolve around themes of materiality, memory, and diaspora.

Born in Nottingham, England in 1964, de Waal studied English literature at Cambridge University. He later pursued an apprenticeship in pottery and traveled to Japan to further his craft. His artistic career has seen him exhibit his porcelain in numerous museum collections around the world. One of his most notable works is a large installation for the dome of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

In addition to his work as an artist, de Waal is also a critically acclaimed author. His book, "The Hare with Amber Eyes," is a personal journey through the history of a family in objects, reflecting his unique perspective and expertise in material culture. The book has been widely praised for its blend of personal memoir, family history, and cultural exploration. De Waal's background in English literature, combined with his experience as a potter, make him a unique and compelling voice in both the literary and art worlds. He currently resides in London.
Collections (with Charlotte Vignon)
# Title Year
1 Elective Affinities (With: Charlotte Vignon) 2019
2 Elective Affinities 2019
3 Poor Crisp: Some Shards and Fragments 2021
Non-Fiction Books
# Title Year
1 St. Ives Artists: Bernard Leach 1997
2 New Ceramic Design 2000
3 The Hare With Amber Eyes: A Family's Century of Art and Loss 2010
4 The Pot Book 2011
5 The Pot Book (With: Blanche Craig) 2011
6 Cy Twombly - Photographs 2012
7 Edmund de Waal 2014
8 The White Road: Journey Into an Obsession 2015
9 Edmund de Waal Library of Exile 2020
10 Letters to Camondo 2021
World of Art Books
# Title Year
1 The Cathedrals of England 1967
2 The Cathedrals of England (By: Alec Clifton-Taylor) 1967
3 Costume and Fashion: A Concise History 1969
4 Costume and Fashion (By: James Laver) 1969
5 Modern Architecture: A Critical History 1980
6 Modern Architecture (By: Kenneth Frampton) 1980
7 Bauhaus 1984
8 Bauhaus (By: Frank Whitford) 1984
9 Oceanic Art 1995
10 Oceanic Art (By: Nicholas Thomas) 1995
11 The Chronicle of Jazz (By: Mervyn Cooke) 1997
12 The Chronicle of Jazz 1997
13 20th Century Ceramics 2003
14 Body Art (By: Nicholas Thomas) 2014
15 Body Art 2014
Edmund de Waal Anthologies
# Title Year
1 Timeless Beauty: Traditional Japanese Folk Art 2003
2 Electra 6 Money 2019
3 Ben Nicholson: From the Studio 2021
4 Boom: Art and Design in the 1940s 2025