New Acquisition: 'Dovecote' by Paul Young

Dovecote is a ceramic piece made by the artist Paul Young.

Young trained at Sheffield and Chesterfield College of Art and Design in the late 1970s to early 1980s and currently works from a studio based in a former Victorian Railway Station in Leicestershire.

He has been inspired by the traditions of English earthenware, slipware and European folk art.

Young also has strong ties to the Staffordshire wares of the eighteenth century, and makers such as Ralph Wood and Thomas Whieldon. Their works have a naivety and charm which he admires, alongside their sophistication in shape and form.

Talking about the subject of this piece, he says:

‘Dovecotes along with other architectural buildings have always fascinated me. From the Middle Ages they were used as a source of meat and eggs, later becoming decorative garden features…I also see them as a symbol of peace, something the world greatly lacks…'

As for his ceramic practice, his ‘aim is to fulfil a need, a desire and a passion for making…My hope is to convey a joy, narrative and intrigue for the viewer.’

Dovecote can be seen on display in the You Are Here Gallery at Leicester Museum & Art Gallery.

Donated by the artist in memory of his daughter, Alice, 2026.

Copyright credit: © The artist