Sculptor and ceramicist born in Lincoln who initially trained at Lincoln School of Art, 1949-51 and then the Central School of Art, 1951-54. His career as a ceramicist spans a period of more than fifty years. Baldwin taught ceramics and sculpture at Eton College, 1957-94 and at the Central School. His distinctive works combine sculptural form with abstract painterly marks. In recognition of his influential career and achievements he was awarded an OBE in 1992 and received an honorary doctorate from the Royal College of Art in 2000.

Baldwin's work has been included in numerous solo and group exhibitions, including Primavera Gallery, 1961; New Directions, Oxford Gallery, Oxford, 1972; Clay Sculpture, Yorkshire Sculpture Park, 1980; Artist Potters Now, Museum of Oxford, and tour, 1984; The Raw and the Cooked, Barbican Art Gallery and tour, 1993; and The Jerwood Prize for Applied Arts, Crafts Council, 1996. Later solo shows included Gordon Baldwin Ceramics, Crafts Council Shop at Victoria & Albert Museum, 1995, and Barrett Marsden Gallery, 2001. Latterly, he held a major solo exhibition 'Objects for a Landscape' at the York Art Gallery, 2011-12. The exhibition also toured to Gallery Oldham, Plymouth Art Gallery and the Ruthin Craft Centre. His work is represented in numerous public collections in Britain and abroad including Victoria & Albert Museum; Contemporary Art Society; Kettle's Yard, Cambridge; Paisley Museum and Art Galleries and Usher Gallery, Lincoln.