About
In this course students will be introduced to the tiles from 13th century Kashan, Iran, considered by many to be the golden age of lustreware.
During the week students will learn the techniques and motifs behind this exquisite form of pottery before designing and making their very own lustreware tiles.
We will then fire your work for you. Final firings will need to be collected in January 2026, after the Christmas and New Year’s break.
Key Information
Who is this workshop for?
All levels of ability and experience welcome. You must be aged 18 or over to participate in our programmes.
How many people can attend?
8 people
What days/times do I attend?
Monday – Friday, 15 – 19 December 2025, 10:00 – 16:30
What materials do I need?
Students are asked to bring their own brushes:
1 x 1mm fine liner
1 x 6mm pointed shader pottery brush
All other materials will be provided on this course.
Wear comfortable clothing that you do not mind getting slightly messy. Avoid wearing baggy clothing (especially sleeves), loose jewellery, high heels or open-toed shoes.
Where will this course take place?
This course will take place at our studios at The King’s Foundation School of Traditional Arts, 19-22 Charlotte Road, London EC2A 3SG.
FAQs
Do you offer concessions?
Yes, we offer concessions for Seniors/60+, full-time students and people who are unemployed/in receipt of benefits.
Concessions cannot be applied in retrospect. To receive a concession, please apply via our online form. We will then send you a discount code to use when booking your space.
Terms & Conditions
The School reserves the right to discontinue or suspend a Course up to fourteen (14) calendar days before the advertised start date of the Course. This course requires a minimum number of enrollments to run.
The School may take and use images of you and/or your work for course advertisement and social media purposes.
Our normal terms and conditions apply.
Tutor Biography
Boris Aldridge, a British contemporary ceramist, artist, educator and musician, has been hand-crafting and firing unique ceramic tiles for nearly 25 years from his studio in Suffolk, UK.
Boris’s work is inspired by Persian lusterware tiles produced in the 13th century in the town of Kashan, Northern Iran. Boris uses a variety of techniques to decorate his wonderful creations and often paints with gold which gives rise to the shimmering lustre seen in his tiles. He also uses carving as a means of creating intricate patterns on pottery.
His artwork is influenced by the works of 20th-century animators Yuri Norstein, Ub Iwerks and Max Fleischer along with his own poetry and music. Some of his ceramic tiles bear the lyrics of his own music. Apart from his studio work, Boris has led workshops in Kashan lusterware at the School for Traditional Arts in London for the last three years and has lectured internationally. In 2016 he delivered a talk on “Reinterpreting Kashan Lustreware” at the 3rd Conference of Geometric Patterns in Islamic Art in Istanbul. Boris has exhibited at the Alde Valley Spring Festival (2017, 2018, 2019), at the Art of Islamic Pattern Exhibition in Homerton Hospital, (London, 2019). Boris had his first solo exhibition “AURUM” at Amir Mohtashemi’s gallery in the summer of 2019.
A panel from the Blue Forest Series by Boris Aldridge was commissioned by the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and is now housed in their permanent Art of the Islamic Worlds collection. One of his earlier tiles is in the Fisher Fine Arts Material Library, at the University of Pennsylvania. His geometric tile Firmament was selected for exhibition at the Royal Academy’s 2024 Summer Exhibition in London.
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