Brexit Ware – the crockery that is depicting the unfolding of Brexit – has hit the news, covered by both the BBC and ITV earlier this week. Painter Harriet Coles began painting interpretations of events and possibilities after the EU referendum in June 2016. Her designs have been transposed onto bone china, in conjunctions with Edwards and Lockett in Stoke-on-Trent.
Popular products include eggcups with the motifs ‘Hard Brexit’ and ‘Soft Brexit’ and the ‘Uncertain Tea’ teacups, with various outcomes for tea-leaves to foretell inside the cup itself.
Harriet’s designs also include a variation on the famous Willow Pattern. The Weeping Willow plate depicts the coasts of Britain and France with the bridge broken between them. Its details showBritons with wrecking bar and sledge hammer walking away from the wrecked bridge between, a refugee parent and child in an enclosure south of Calais, a boat full of EU nationals leaving the UK to return to continental Europe, storms heading towards Westminster and Angela Merkel watching over events.
Another design in traditional blue and white shows a lion holding Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty. Speaking on BBC news, Harriet talked about the possibility of a dog bowl to recognise “the dogs dinner” of recent events in parliament.
Top: Hard and Soft Brexit eggcups by Brexit Ware.
