‘As a boy I was thrilled by Romano British pots, which combined classical proportions with robust execution, and exploited the intrinsic characteristics of their material and making. These qualities became fundamental ingredients in my own work, chiming with the modernism that infected me as a student, and leading me to think of myself as a sort of neo-classicist. Much of my saltglazed work has been austere, moderated by degrees of sensuality in the making and in the fired quality of the pots, but always reaching back into the traditions of vessel making (both metal and clay) for inspiration. Some of my work is now made in earthenware, creamware to be precise, which springs from my love of Staffordshire pottery of the 18th century. This was a period of dynamic innovation when expanding technical and creative horizons, and a new middle class hungry for symbols of their sophistication and wealth, provoked some of the most unexpected and spectacularly inventive English pottery. Through my work I celebrate my enthusiasm for this exotic world, but inevitably reflecting my own life and time. I have always thought of my best pots as extraordinary objects doing a commonplace job - a description that would aptly fit the work of those 18th century pioneers.’

Walter trained at Harrow School of Art (1958-63) and was Professor in Ceramics at UWE Bristol (1994-2002). He has exhibited extensively over the years as well as internationally, including Contemporary Applied Arts (London), The British Council, Jerwood Shortlist Exhibition (Crafts Council), Collect (V&A), and was Gold Medal winnner at the National Eisteddfod (2004).