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Comedian Johnny Vegas 'proud' artwork on display in Stoke-on-Trent

Actor and musicas pokerstarscomedian Johnny Vegas said "art is for everyone" as his work went on display at a pottery festival.

The installation, described as an "avenue of hugs captured in clay", features at the British Ceramics Biennial, which began at the Spode Works in Stoke-on-Trent on Saturday.

Vegas, who trained in art and ceramics before working in comedy, said seeing his work featured at the Biennial was "still sinking in" and he was "blown away" by the impact.

"Art belongs to the masses, not the select few, not the collectors, not the auction houses, art is ours," he said.

Vegas, who rediscovered his love of ceramics during the pandemic, said his work, called Just Be There, was inspired by the ongoing theme of life post lockdown and the "new normal", where people just had to get on with things.

The hugged forms he created feature alongside a wall of unfired clay, with people able to "express their feelings" by making marks on the wall.

To get to and from the wall, visitors will need to walk through the sculptures, described as representing "unspoken emotions of love and contentment".

"I think people are still processing... isolation, human contact and hugging," Vegas said of his work.

"I feel like a proper artist," he added.

The comedian worked with sculptor Emma Rodgers and people from the city to fix their hugs into clay as part of the installation.

Speaking to the BBC, Vegas said he was "immensely proud" and hoped the public would embrace the pieces.

Investment in the creative industries was "massively important", he added, following a tough year for the pottery industry which saw historic firms Moorcroft and Royal Stafford call in administrators.

The comedian spoke of how he worked at tile manufacturer Johnson's Tiles for a short time during a gap year and learnt about the "industrial side" to ceramics.

The firm announced it was also closing in 2024, citing costs which had become "unsustainable".

According to Vegas, ceramics was an art form which had been "taken for granted".

"There's so much space in ceramics for everything, for exploration, and it's a skill set that we just cannot afford to let go of," he explained.

"It's great to celebrate it but the celebration has to continue once this festival ends."

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