French Figurine Cup, date unknown

Recognised for his abstract ceramic works, Ken Price was an artist inspired by Mexican folk-art and geology - a lot of his ceramics resemble sliced geodes and biomorphic blobs, featuring sloping edges and plump forms. Foregoing the popular method of glazing, Price would paint his works with bright acrylics and finish by sanding them down to reveal the rich colours beneath, as exhibited in works such as Jewel of the Rim and Variant. Studying in Japan, Price was influenced by the works of Japanese ceramicists and his earliest sculptures were small-scale, yet exquisite pieces; towards the end of his career, his sculptures began to take a larger, more bulbous form while retaining a quirky, abstract finish. Asides from his ceramics, Price created extensively through the form of watercolour paintings – as with his ceramics, his paintings depicted nature-inspired forms in acidic colour against flat landscapes – Hot Bottoms is perhaps his most notable painting.