Walter Keeler (studio potter)

Walter Keeler (b 1942) is a British studio potter and was professor of Ceramics at the University of the West of England from 1994 to 2002. Keeler makes salt glaze pottery influenced by early Staffordshire Creamware.^[1]

Keeler was born in London and attended Harrow School of Art, London from 1958 until 1963 where he was trained by Michael Casson.^[2] He established his first pottery at Bledlow Bridge, Buckinghamshire in 1965 and in 1976 he moved his studio to Penallt Wales, where he lives with his wife Madoline.^[3][4] Writer Oliver Watson described him as "one of the most important and influential potters of the 1980's"^[2]

Keelers work is held in a number of public collections including Victoria & Albert Museum,^[5] National Museum Wales, American Craft Museum, New York, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, USA and the Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo.^[6]

Keeler is the president of the South Wales Potters^[7] and in 2007 was named Welsh Artist of the Year.^[8]