News / 03 Aug 2026
Visual Communication graduate releases collaborative ceramics range in aid of Not a Phase
BA (Hons) Visual Communication
BA (Hons) Visual Communication graduate Jack Burnett has launched a new ceramics range ‘It’s Looking Muggy’ in collaboration with 14 artists and illustrators, in aid of Not a Phase.
Jack’s journey into ceramics began in his second year of university, where an upcoming group exhibition at the Corn Exchange ignited a desire to start making physical objects. After his initial foray into 3D making led to a 36-piece slip cast sea urchin installation, Jack began noticing the ceramic pieces used in restaurants, and in particular the presentation of taster menus. This interest in how food is displayed led to Jack exploring the storytelling potential of ceramics and tableware.
“Ceramics is one of the oldest methods of art and for documenting what's been going on in the world. If we look at Greek pottery and Roman pottery, we can really get a grasp of history. Those ceramics are things we are still finding today, which to me is the coolest thing because when an artist dies, often they are forgotten about if they're not successful, but pottery seems to keep for such a long time.”
Jack Burnett, BA (Hons) Visual Communication graduate
Jack founded Echino in 2024 as the home for his ceramics output, and currently operates out of his studio in Yorkshire Artspace, Sheffield. Alongside making and selling his own homeware ranges, Jack has also released collections with Signal Goods, and created tableware for fine-dining restaurant JÖRO.
Jack started developing his new collection, ‘It’s Looking Muggy’, in April 2026, with collaboration and the celebration of queerness and queer art at the heart of the project.
“It was really me sitting in my bedroom thinking, who would I want if I was doing my dream collaboration? Who would I want involved? And so many of these people are genuinely my best friends.”
Jack Burnett, BA (Hons) Visual Communication graduate
Bringing together 14 queer illustrators and artists, including recent graduates from Leeds Arts University, Jack worked alongside each of them to develop their own one-of-a-kind mug for the collection with “full creative freedom”. With collaborators working across disciplines such as illustration, calligraphy, jewellery, and visual art, Jack employed a range of techniques to translate their work into ceramic pieces. Everything was thrown on the wheel, with handles pulled and cut freehand to achieve a range of intricate shapes. After applying a mix of glazes and transfer paper decals, each mug was fired three times to achieve the final outcome.
The collection puts queerness at its centre, with ‘It’s Looking Muggy’ itself a play on drag slang for beautifully applied make-up. Profits from every sale will be donated to Jack and the artists’ chosen charity Not a Phase, whose work helps to support the lives of trans+ adults across the UK.
You can find out more about ‘It’s Looking Muggy’ at Echino.