Creating the 2026 MCR Open Awards

An interview with MCR Open Awards Maker: Sam Andrew

Manchester ceramicist Sam Andrew, whose work ranges from layered clay tableware to sculptural vessels made from coloured clay off‑cuts, is based at the long‑running Seven Limes Pottery studio. This year, he has been selected as the MCR Open Awards Maker - a commission that brings together his material practice, his interest in perception, and even his background in neuropsychology.

Below, Sam shares his thoughts in his own words.

Q&A with Sam Andrew

Please introduce yourself (who you are, what you do) and describe your involvement in the MCR Open?

I'm Sam Andrew a ceramicist. I create layered clay tableware, and use coloured clay techniques to incorporate my waste off-cuts in to larger sculptural pots. I also get involved in other ceramic making projects such as making tableware for chefs, architectural bricks to restore an old Georgian building, and I love throwing a mug on the potter's wheel too. I'm based at Seven Limes Pottery, which has been running for almost 27 years, it's a teaching and membership studio where you can learn pottery in Manchester. I've been selected to be this year's Open awards maker.

What does it mean to you to be creating this year’s MCR Open award?

It was a honour to be asked to make the awards for MCR open. I've had a couple of pieces in the previous exhibitions, which was great to have my work displayed in a central Manchester exhibition. With quite an open brief it has been an exciting making project, where I've been able to explore some creative ideas, make some tests, and push my work in a different direction than I usually would.

Can you briefly talk us through how you’re making the award and is there a story behind the design?

The awards are entirely made up of layered coloured clay. I like the use of layers or lines for the reason that they give an optical effect of depth. What I mean by that is your vision oscillates between perceiving one line as further away then the other. It's an immediate reminder that what we see is not true, that we see the world through our own filter.

At home my sofa faces a long shelf displaying a range of oddly shaped and brightly coloured tiles that are colour and arrangement studies. I began by selecting some colours and forms based on these and I settled on a wiggly shape, which relates back to my time training to be a neuropsychologist. I conducted research into a brain wave called the alpha wave, that is similar in shape. Interestingly I found that people who rated highly on the 'power' of alpha, tended to perform better on various tasks. It's a measure of attention, so it makes total sense, but it hadn't been discovered before.

I also settled on the colour pink, which I've come to love only after realising my initial dislike for it stemmed from its attributed gender. In that way pink is the antithesis of the masculine sounding 'alpha power'. However, in reality both the colour and words don't inherently contain these cultural attributions. I like that conversation. It's also a fun shape that is quite celebratory in manner, suiting its purpose.

What do you think is special about the MCR Open as an exhibition and platform for artists - why do you think it matters for artists? What opportunity do you feel it offers?

There isn't another event like this in Manchester at such scale and with ease of access to exhibit. Many exhibitions have a cost to the artist to participate, which is a barrier for many, but the open is free to apply, exhibit and to attend. It's a great platform for new artists to try out an application and with the high number of artists selected it means that there's a good chance you can be chosen when compared to other opportunities. With over 33,000 visitors it's also a good opportunity for more established artists too, and the artworks are generally for sale as well. There's such an eclectic range of works that there will be something to appeal to everyone visiting.

What are you most excited to see at this year's Open?

I'm interested in seeing inspirational new ideas, arrangements, artistic skills and creativity that would never occur in my own mind. At the 2024 open I was inspired by the painting skill of Simon Taylor who painted a saliva inducing 'Filet'o'fish', and Freya Wysocki's carpet of a joyful, upside down, smiling, hairy legged and splashing diver. It made me smile and one day perhaps I'll own one.