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Richard Slee finds inspiration in the diversity of ornamental ceramic traditions, from 18th century Sèvres porcelain and 19th century curios to more recent pottery knick-knacks. Other aesthetic influences that he cites include early Disney animations and the ‘Krazy Kat’ cartoon strips of George Herriman - stylistic echoes of these are to be found in the softly rounded forms of so many of his pieces.
The works are frequently wry comments on social issues, either political or more broadly cultural. Dr Oliver Watson, Chief Curator of Ceramics and Glass at the Victoria & Albert Museum, London has written “If there is a single quality that draws together Slee‘s diverse body of work, it is the humanity and tenderness with which he treats his subjects. A humanity that is given all the more power by his penetrating, surreal, hyper-real, vision of the ordinary around him”.
