The Wrens were a family of studio potters who lived and worked at the Oxshott Pottery, Surrey, from 1920 to 1978. Denise, Henry, and their daughter Rosemary were at the forefront of the popular revival of studio pottery in twentieth century Britain. They made and sold their pottery at craft fairs and exhibitions, gave throwing demonstrations, taught in a variety of formal and informal contexts, and wrote many accessible how-to manuals designed to encourage anyone to give pottery a go.

Their trailblazing, down-to-earth, hands-on worldview underpinned all their activity, from the home-studio Potterscroft they designed and built in 1920 where they worked and taught to their leading role in the development of the Craftsmen Potters’ Association in the 1950s and 60s. With a career that closely paralleled many better-known makers, such as Bernard Leach, Denise Wren and her family were pivotal in shaping public awareness of studio pottery, whether as part of a creative lifestyle or as an occasional leisure pursuit.

With objects from the Crafts Study Centre’s collections, loans from Kingston Heritage Service and private collections, this exhibition reveals some of the Wrens’ alternative and surprisingly subversive pots, ideas and influences. Also included is the hand-carved Oxshott Pottery door, the Wrens’ self-designed kick-wheel and studio paraphernalia from Elmbridge Museum collections, the remains of the Wrens’ commitment to building a life with their hands.

The exhibition is curated by Dr Charlotte Samuels who completed a PhD at Kingston University on the Wrens in 2025.

(Left to right) Denise Wren, saltglazed stoneware, 1960s. P.84.23/24/26; Photograph of Henry and Denise Wren with daughter Rosemary and pets; Rosemary Wren, Model of a Bird, saltglazed stoneware with iron oxide breaking through the glaze; Photograph of Denise Wren at Knox Guild exhibition; Denise Wren, Jar, 1930s, P.84.17; Photograph of Denise, Henry and Rosemary Wren at the Oxshott Pottery, c. 1935.