INTRUDERS left a scene of destruction and £1,000 worth of damage after breaking into a studio shared by artists in York.

The motive and identity of the perpetrators remain a mystery, but ceramicist Emily Stubbs saw an opportunity to create something special from the mayhem.

Using shards from 15 of her ceramic vessels which had been smashed on the floor, Emily has created new works which will be showcased at the art&York 2019 show next weekend.

Entitled Construct|Reconstruct, her latest collection has brought her new interest from around the country, and she has already sold a number of pieces.

“Instead of feeling defeated, angry and down about the break-in I have tried to turn a negative action into a positive outcome,” she said.

“Picking up the pieces of the pots, I realised that each shard was beautiful in its own right, with unique marks and edges. It felt wrong to just throw them all in the bin so I decided to try to create something out of the shards. My new body of work which I will be presenting at art&York 2019 is a series of vessels incorporating these shards in a way that showcases their fragility and beauty, embellishing the new hand-built vessels that they have become part of.”

Emily co-founded the art& show with Victoria Robinson, for which she sources art and artists. As part of its RAW Talent programme, she mentors emerging artists and gives advice on how to make a career from art, with the programme now a key element of the show.

The show, at York Racecourse from Friday, October25 to Sunday, October 27, will include painting, illustration, print, jewellery and textiles, ceramics and sculpture.

Originally from Holmfirth, Emily moved to York in 2009. With studio space rare, Emily and a group of artists set up Picas Studios in Grape Lane in January 2017.

More details at www.artand.co.uk