Matthias Ostermann was born in Germany. A ceramicist since 1974, he now lives and works in Montreal, Canada. A well-travelled artist, he has lectured and taught in Toronto, Australia, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, France, Scandinavia, New Zealand, the United States and Brasil, as well as the UK. He has also exhibited internationally, and his work can be found in such permanent collections as the Baden-Wuertenbergisches Landesmuseum in Germany, the Canadian Clay and Glass Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and the Royal Ontario Museum and Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art in Toronto. He is also an elected member of the International Academy of Ceramics in Geneva, Switzerland. Since 1981 he has specialized in low-fired tin-glaze techniques for functional domestic wares, sculpture and architectural wall tiles However, he is currently exploring oriental high-fire glazes. His strong leaning towards painting and narrative work in particular, comes from a love of stories, myths and legends, a legacy from his mother who was a professional raconteuse. Ostermann has also written other books; The New Maiolica: Contemporary Approaches to Colour and Technique and The Ceramic Narrative, all published by A&C Black in London and the University of Pennsylvania Press in Philadelphia.