Mark Hewitt

Born in Stoke-on-Trent, England, Mark Hewitt is the son and grandson of directors of Spode, the fine china manufacturers. In 1983 Mark and his wife Carol moved to Pittsboro NC and set up their pottery. Mark built a very large wood kiln and began making the distinctive functional pots for which he is known, specializing in very large planters and jars, along with finely made smaller items. He uses local clays and blends the different North Carolinian folk traditions together into a contemporary style that has attracted a sizeable following.

Mark’s work has been featured in numerous publications including the Smithsonian magazine, the cover of American Craft magazine, and he has written extensively in the ceramic press. Mark has exhibited in London, New York and Tokyo, as well as throughout the US. He is well-represented in museum and private collections.

Mark and Nancy Sweezy co-curated the highly-regarded exhibition, The Potter’s Eye: Art and Tradition in North Carolina Pottery, at the North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh, NC, October 30, 2005–March 19, 2006. Mark and his work were featured extensively in the nationwide PBS TV series, Craft in America, and he recently had two major exhibitions of his big pots, the first, in 2010, at the Nasher Museum, at Duke University in Durham, NC, and the second, in 2011, at the Ogden Museum in New Orleans. Mark is past President of the Board of Directors at the North Carolina Pottery Center in Seagrove, NC, and a member of the board from 2005–2018.