Kay Aplin graduated in 1995 from Chelsea College of Art, in Public Art and Design, specialising in ceramics and glass. For 25 years, Kay has had a successful career as an architectural ceramist, producing a distinct range of site-specific commissions predominantly for the public realm around the UK and internationally. Since 2008 she has been based in Brighton.
In recent years, Kay has been developing large-scale wall-based ceramic installations for exhibition and by commission. Her design process is informed by the use of a digital microscope to magnify botanical specimens and the use of soda wood firing techniques in porcelain to create flora-inspired work that responds to place.
In 2011, Kay initiated the award-winning project The Ceramic House, a pop-up gallery space, her home and a living showcase of her work, where she curates exhibitions of contemporary ceramics, featuring the work of emerging and leading international ceramists. Since 2016, The Ceramic House has become a centre for research into collaborative ceramic and sound art practice with an ongoing international residency and exhibition programme.
Kay has exhibited internationally at Kogei Triennial Kanazawa, Japan, Seoul Artspace Mullae, Korea European Ceramic Context, Denmark, Elit-Tile Triennial, Dominican Republic, British Ceramics Biennial and Collect Open.