Rebels & Rulebreakers: A Tour of Pushing Boundaries

Explore innovative, iconic design that challenges convention, celebrating the rebels and rulebreakers who changed design forever.

Not every maker wants to make the perfect pot. Some wanted to provoke, surprise or even unsettle. Rejecting convention, these artists challenged the boundaries between craft and art, transforming clay, glass and other media into powerful forms of expression. Whether through Gillian Lowndes' raw sculptural ceramics, Dan Arbeid's exuberant vessels, Erik Höglund's rough-hewn glass or Sam Smith's experimental forms, they proved that the future of design belongs to those prepared to question tradition. They weren't interested in fitting in—they were interested in changing the conversation.

The Stradling Collection features over 2,000 objects, including studio and commercial ceramics, glass, sculpture, furniture, industrial design, and various artworks. Celebrated for its national significance, it is a true treasure of the South West.

On the tour, discover the captivating design histories of Bristol, the story of the now-closed…