Preston is a London-based authority on contemporary ceramics, craft and design. He curates and manages art and design exhibitions. In particular, he specialises in championing both the works of emerging artists and nascent design trends in contemporary craft.

For the past nine years, he has curated an annual exhibition of the works of The Royal College of Arts M.A. Ceramics and Glass students.  He has hosted this ‘work-in-progress’ exhibition in his home among his collection and furnishings to help students to consider their works in a domestic-setting instead of a white box gallery space.

Another area that has keenly interested Preston has been the promising expansion of ceramics appreciation beyond London. He has co-curating a contemporary ceramics exhibitions  at Doddington Hall, Lincolnshire in 2018 and 2019.

Currently, Preston is the curator and judge of The Young Masters Mayliss Grand Ceramics Prize with The Cynthia Corbett Gallery since its inception in 2014.

BACKGROUND

Starting in New York City and London-based for over 20 years, he has built an international collection of craft with an emphasis on contemporary ceramics. After earning post-graduate degrees at Christies’ Education and Sotheby’s Institute of Art, Preston worked with well-respected curator, Janice Blackburn, on the Sotheby’s contemporary decorative arts selling exhibitions.  He followed this up by curating contemporary craft and design exhibitions with The Flow Gallery (London), Terra Delft Gallery (Holland) and Rupert Cavendish Antiques (London).