The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Artful way to support charity
● Student’s unique jug designs will raise money for cancer organisations
An Aberdeen student has created her own ceramics brand to help cancer charities in the north and north-east.
As an 11-year-old, Megan Davies lost her mother to breast cancer, then last year her grandmother died from lung cancer.
But the artist has opted to use this heartache to drive herself forward and support others.
She is planning to donate half the proceeds from her Jugs For Jugs range to cancer centres across the country.
Miss Davies developed the products as part of her final year of 3D design studies at Gray’s School of Art, and is showcasing them at the institution’s virtual degree show.
Each object was designed with cancer patients in mind, as they may struggle to maintain their independence when it comes to lifting heavy objects.
“Focusing on how the hand naturally interacts with the product, I created certain indents to help hold the jugs and encourage mobility,” Miss Davies said.
“To be inclusive, I aimed to ensure the jugs could also simply be admired or appreciated.
“Once Jugs for Jugs becomes active, I plan to donate 50% of the profits to ongoing cancer centres which are providing the mental and physical help needed by thousands affected across Scotland.”
Miss Davies, who is from Copenhagen in Denmark but now lives on Lewis, first enrolled at Gray’s to study jewellery making. But she soon discovered a passion for the potter’s wheel and is also planning to open a family art gallery on the Black Isle. She said: “Most of my work has been inspired by people, and I enjoy telling the story behind the product alongside the object because people tend to relate.
“Although this final year brought a lot of hardships – being reminded of my losses and dark periods daily because I had dedicated this project to my mother and grandmother – I look back and see a young woman who created a passion project for the strongest women in her life, while she herself became strong.
“It is much easier to say this in hindsight, but that is why I created my brand Jugs for Jugs; to become a helping hand to others during those moments and a guide towards the end of the tunnel.”