EMERGING
Issue 27 April to June 2022
Potters
Emerging Potters - 27
April – June 2022
Introduction The online pottery magazine Welcome to this edition of the magazine. At last we are able to report on the new shows for 2022 after the lockdown. The demand for studio space continues to grow and has resulted in the expansion of new studios around the country. There has also been an increase in online teaching, which does not conform to traditional boundaries. It will be interesting to see in future editions how the universities respond to their traditional degree shows, after so many had online shows. In this edition we look at the Craft Council’s COLLECT show and the Craft Potters Association’s Ceramic Art London show. New Designers show returns to the Building Design Centre and we will be looking at that in the next edition. Below: Ceramic Art London Front cover: Verity Howard
The magazine is an independent journal. The publishers do not accept any liability for errors or omissions. The views expressed in the features are not necessarily those of the editor. Reproduction in part or whole must be with the consent of the editor. All rights reserved.
Contributions to the gallery of work from makers and students are welcome and will be included wherever possible on a first come basis. Send to the email address – paulbailey123@googlemail.com. The editor’s decision is final. © Paul Bailey 2022 Emerging Potters is produced in association with Aylesford Pottery UK.
April - June 2022
Contents
RCA Work in Progress
3 - 13
Collect 2022
14 - 20
Ceramic Art London
21 - 27
Harewood Biennial
28 -29
Turning Earth Studio
31 – 32
Morley College
33 - 38
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April- June 2022
Emerging Potters – 27
Work in Progress… Royal College of Art – Ceramics and Glass In January 2022, the RCA’s annual presentation of Work in Progress took place as an online showcase. During the autumn term, students work with the collections at the Victoria & Albert museum to explore the many roles that an object might fulfill. This lays the foundations for the research skills associated with developing materials and process understanding and the cultural and social histories embedded within objects. Students have explored these propositions, discovering provenance, which in turn provides impetus for their own practice, until wholly new works develop as reinterpretations, unique but integral aspects of the original object’s ongoing life. The showcase captures points of translation within the making and thinking processes of students in a material-led discipline, where different forms of knowledge are at play. Embodied, tacit and poetic knowledge evolves into emergent acts of making, where thought is translated, through intimate interactions with materials and tools, into new forms and possibilities.
The works are evidence of artists thinking through making, using self-reflective and self-reflexive processes to understand and challenge the ways in which a ceramic and glass practice contributes to the contemporary world. Core to the philosophy is an exploration of how we can make ideas manifest through a tacit exploration of active materials and the generative potential of process. The programme provides a creative interface where personal concerns and global perspectives intersect – questioning, examining and responding to social, cultural and material challenges. The areas of research of both staff and students are diverse, arise from the broad scope of the two disciplines, and inform what is taught on the programme.
Jonathan Boyd, Head of Programme Steve Brown, Senior Tutor RCA
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Emerging Potters – 27 RCA Work in Progress
April - June 2022
Abi Freckleton Phoenix (Last fall of the cherry) Crystallised ash of Autumn cherry tree leaves One avenue I explored during our V&A project was burning objects and using the ash to create a glaze. This has led to an ongoing project exploring the use of ash from various sources. The work Phoenix (Last fall of the cherry) is a nugget of glass and ceramic minerals that I unearthed from a pile of high-fired leaf ash. It excites me that an object with such complex colours and textures can emerge from firing one single substance. The idea of objects being converted into materials is one I continue to explore in the studio.
Chuxin Chen ‘Fragile War’ Medium: Ceramic, Plaster I chose for my V&A project the Ritual Uas Sceptre of Amenhotep, which depicts the God of war Seth to show power, death, and war. For my reinterpretation of this object project I chose to make ceramic armor to show my hope: Ceramic is fragile, and I hope that modern war is also fragile. Since ancient times, there have been too many wars. Contemporary warfare has changed a lot, but the impact on human beings has the same results, it is lasting, enormous, and negative. During the Qing Dynasty, as a result of the Opium War, the development of my country was set back and lagged behind that of other developed countries. My personal experience is that I have to go abroad if I want to learn the world's advanced technology and design concepts.
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Emerging Potters – 27 RCA Work in Progress
April - June 2022
Ying Chen ‘Therapy’ My inspiration for this project is an object from Longton Hall Factory (1757-1760), displayed in the V&A museum. I am attracted by the colour and luxury of this vase. After preliminary research, my attention turned to the collector of the work, Lady Charlotte Schreiber (1812-1895), who was a remarkable woman with many accomplishments. This V&A piece connects Lady Charlotte Schreiber and me across time. After doing indepth research on her, I found many similarities between us, and finally chose the theme of childhood as inspiration for my creations.
Ekta Bagri Pottery Imperfection Wet porcelain slip, glaze, broken glass shards For the Re-interpreting the Collection V&A project, I picked and focused on the Delftware ‘Waster’ from the mid-17th century. I was intrigued by the concept of transformation due to a failure or an ‘accident’ which made this piece of work look like a contemporary ceramic artwork. The piece comprises of 34 large blue and white dishes fused together, which was produced in a Delftware factory.
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I used this opportunity to focus on performing ‘controlled accidents’ in a saggar by going beyond the pottery rulebook- firing wet clay mixed with wet glazes. The white porcelain slip, along with variations of blue glaze textures, and broken glass shards, was my reinterpretation of the Delftware. The concept of transformation is also shown through the unusual cracks I would get, as a result of firing wet clay. I sliced my final piece into two to observe more of these flaws and bubbles, that provided the piece with a new identity.
April - June 2022
Emerging Potters – 27 RCA Work in Progress
Giles Watkins ‘Grindstone’ 2021 - ceramic stain, porcelain (below) In response to our class visit to the V&A's ceramics collection, I focused on a small neoclassical earthenware obelisk (12cm high). Manufactured around 1790 at the burslem, Enoch Woods factory. Made using an obscure technique, terra tersa or granite ware. Granulated coloured clays were applied to the surface of a mould. Producing an effect that resembles stone. The obelisk is a global symbol serving a multitude of purposes. Their scale, monumental presence and masculine form is undeniable. My object drew me to look more widely at Victorian sculpture. Classicism became a fundamental tool in the mythology of the Victorian age. I decided to develop a series of works that drew from the history of granite, comparing this to the sculptures and cultural messaging that the material possesses.
Holly Hooper Untitled (above), glass, pâte de verre, 11 x 17 x 9.5 cm I have been working in response to a pâte de verre mask made by Henri Cros in the V&A glass collection. This project explores glass making practices that have been lost and regained time and again throughout history. Delving into the secretive world of glass making,and thinking about what may have been different if ideas and processes were documented and shared. Pâte de verre was "invented" by Henri Cros at the turn of the 20th century,but was certainly a technique that had been used before, this led me to think about the idea of the loss and regaining of ideas, temporality and non-linear time. This project was initially an experiment in process and materials but led me to investigate how we share and document and the importance of open source and collective knowledge.
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Emerging Potters – 27 RCA Work in Progress
April - June 2022
Jihyun Kim <Do not rest on your laurels> Terracotta Length:25cm, Width:17cm, Depth:17cm My work derives from what I value, my gaze, and my experience. What I focus on is to find a way to make my point of view into everybody’s point of view. By achieving this, I do not want to keep my story alone, but to make it a story for everyone through the ceramic. This ceramics piece was inspired by Daphne, which is displayed at Victoria and Albert Museum. Artists have depicted Daphne, the nymph from Greek mythology, and the tragic Greek mythology of Daphne gave me the idea that ‘Despite one’s ability or potential, it would be hard to escape such situation because of the misuse of authority.’ Victims suffering from hierarchy or misuse of power indeed exist not only in the world we live in today but can be found in Greek mythology. These situations continue in the past and today. Today the victims are raising their voices to share their unfair experiences, and that's how the ‘Me Too Movement’ began. This motivated and encouraged many victims, and I want my work to play such a role and also be a compassionate piece that gives comfort and consolation.
Meichen Chen Burden 30cm x 10cm x 10cm Porcelain, on-glaze Because of the environment that I grew up in, I can easily detect the emotion in speechless emotions. Burden was inspired by the 1750 Doccia factory, which can be found in the Victoria and Albert Museum. In this project, I tried a new approach to making freer shapes. The non-functional sculpture expresses the stresses of women's lives in the last century in China. I have done this through free stacking, finger pressure, vertical gravity and through distortion after firing. The gradual melting of the porcelain surface, the imperfect fit and the faded marks of the on-glaze stickers make it feel like a memory, blurred bit by bit. Its shape looks like that of a figure bent over by pressure, which is a good reflection of this theme.
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April - June 2022
Emerging Potters – 27 RCA Work in Progress
Stella Arion BRING ME BACK HOME Porcelain, glazes, crushed sea shells 29 cm x 22 cm x 22 cm/ 29 cm x 25 cm x 23 cm/ 29 cm x 27 cm x 23 cm My response to V&A Museum’s collection is ‘The Ca May Shipwreck’ sea sculpture by Stella Arion. The main point of interest and my inspiration was the fact that a piece of ordinary object can be transformed into something that looks like a contemporary piece of art. The task of the project was about studying the object and connecting it with contemporary issues. So, the development of the project took place around the topic of climate crisis and in particular that of dying sea corals. The final result is presented as a group of three sculptures made out of porcelain. All pieces are hand built and a number of experiments were made utilising various methods on how to create different textures of the surface by using a variety of objects from nature.
Ziyu Wang Contemporary heraldry series #2 Family surrounds me Blown glass, paint 6cm x 9.6cm x 18cm，Glass cold working，Glass painting I was inspired by the Reichsadlerhumpen (Realm – eagle – beaker) exhibited in the V&A Museum, and created my own coat of arms. Using the ancient rules of heraldic design, the family name and parent’s names surround my own icons. The work contain encouragement and appreciation from those around me, about my own vision of the future and the direction I want to take, as well as attitude and pursuit of life. The series can be arranged in order from small to large like Russian nesting dolls to form a new viewing style. I often uses a camera to record human existence and experience, compiling an image library that feeds into this sculptural work.
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Zihao Xiong The fifth freedom (below) Blown glass, acrylic paint 30cm x 45cm x 15cm 2021 With the invention of glassblowing in the 1st century AD, glass vessels became accessible to everyone, rather than being reserved for the upper classes. Glass is now allowed to be itself, whereas previously, it was mostly used to imitate other materials, such as gemstones or ceramics. Excavated roman glass, often shows iridescence, formed through moisture and chemicals in the earth. For me, this highlights freedom and liberation from the mould. I feel that the expectations from people around us are represented by the mould, and the perfection demanded by the public has become the shackle. This series of works hopes to find the fifth freedom beyond the well-established four freedoms, which are freedom of speech, freedom to worship, freedom from want, freedom from fear.
April - June 2022
Emerging Potters – 27 RCA Work in Progress
Sharyn Wortman “I Feel You,” 2022 High Fired Stoneware 29 x 23 x 24 cm I Feel You is my response to the V&A museum’s German Jug with Applied Decoration (C.2131938.) I was motivated by a visceral desire to engage with the surface of the 16th Century German stoneware jug. I was not able to touch the object but when my feet walked over the raised “braille” pavement outside the museum, I realised that the experience was the same haptic feedback I craved from the object I had just seen. I Feel You is a multiple fired, slab built, stoneware vessel. The colour of the clay matches the description of the original jug but the surface decoration is a departure in colour and technique. The body of the jug was formed using soft slabs and by applying pressure from the inside of the vessel outwards. The marks are evident where she’s worked to push the clay slabs together. The piece is very emotive, only just managing to hold itself together.
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Emerging Potters – 27 Work in Progress
April - June 2022
Jacqui Ramrayka For the V&A project I chose to research an earthenware Harvest jug, possibly made in Wiltshire in the 1700s. What drew me to this jug was its repair. Theaster Gates noted that ‘things we imagine don’t have value but are things we simply stop seeing as having had value.' In this spirit, I started using remnants as material to construct vessel forms, and repurposing damaged and broken pots to build plinths for the vessels, considering the possibilities for rebirth. Looking at the overlooked and discarded, as potential for new directions, I started casting empty plastic containers in jesmonite. I began to reconsider what is discarded and what is preserved, thinking around the teleology of vessels- does it have to be functional to be valid? So I was looking at a way to have a conversation around function and subverting the object.
Jeanne Francois 21 grams is a collection of vases made as a reaction to a traditional nigerian waterpot, made by Adawara people in the late 1920s and part of the V&A ceramic collection. The starting point of the project was the act of digging, which is central in the very collective and land-based craft that is traditional african pottery. It also struck me how pottery in those cultures is so tightly linked to the social roles and cultural organisation. With both of those thoughts, I tried to pursue the idea of getting to the core of the original pot, revealing its essence, and reproducing the action of digging directly on the pot. I cut, carved, sliced, smashed, scraped, poked, until the piece collapsed on itself, or gained a new meaning by losing pieces of itself. Then linked this process of loss and gain with a poem from the movie 21 grams, by Alejandro Inarritu.This project questions the limit in which the piece becomes other than itself, when the line between what’s left of it and what’s gone gets blurred.
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Emerging Potters – 27 Work in Progress
Arantza González
Christina Krey
Morphological Patterns
2021. Technique: pâte-sur-pâte. Parian porcelain, stains, Height 20 cm
2021. Decal on slumped glass. Height 12 cm diameter 28 cm The basis of Arantza's work is the search for the essence of the environment. Continuously, in the different spaces in which she has developed her artistic practice, and dedicated herself to rethinking the closest natural elements; transforming the organic into an object or colour, and shapes into geometry for her pieces. The creation of an object becomes a surrender of the intimacy of the environment. Whatever the final treatment of the work, a fundamental relationship emerges with the process that it reveals. Arantza's works are a testimony to the environment in which the work is gestated, they give an account of a transformed reality that brings us closer to the most elemental nature. https://www.instagram.com/ar.art__/
April - June 2022
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In response to the “Reinterpreting the Collection” project, I chose a porcelainChristina vase from the V&A collection decorated with the pâte-sur-pâte (paste on paste) technique made by Louis Marc Emmanuel Solon in 1898 for the Minton factory. This technique includes decorating with diluted porcelain on top of unfired vessel which after firing becomes a gradient from semi-transparent to opaque relief. For the project I used Parian porcelain and experimented with modern stains to colour the slip and different ways of decor application.
April - June 2022
Emerging Potters – 27 Work in Progress
Isis Dove-Edwin Image: Film ‘set’ for "mediating nature: romantic, real and towards the hyper-real" Mediating nature: romantic, real and towards the hyper-real. One of the exciting and challenging aspects of my practice is trying to tell a story in the way that works best. I work across disciplines, keeping clay at the core. In this project, I explored the timeless human fascination with nature. Comparing historical ceramic representations of untamed nature (‘documentaries’ of their time), with the contemporary blockbuster television nature documentary. Reading critical texts and watching episodes of Planet Earth, I drew the research together into a short film (https://vimeo.com/667715775). The documentary gaze is inverted as the camera pans around the human ‘habitat’, where one might typically interact with high-definition digital images of nature through a screen. The guiding authoritative voice of the narrator is disrupted, representing people who live among, and close to the exotic and dramatic nature scenes which inform and entertain us, but whose voices are rarely heard.
Ziying Li Hide & Seek Stoneware with Flowing Glaze. 18x18x10 cm. 2021 Hide and Seek is inspired by a Doulton Ceramic Vase of the V&A museum. It is a factory-made, massproduced vase with highly decorative sculpting lizards created by an artist. The factory added these handmade art elements to be more competitive in the market. This made me to consider our contemporary focus on aesthetics in daily life and how artistic designs have begun replacing only functional objects. Based on the lizard design, I explored the contrast between life and death, the temporary and permanent, giving me the idea to create a freeze-frame of time. I begun to think about the balance between utilization and the decorative, positive and negative, to create a story about life and death. It is an opportunity to begin drawing together interests in objects that are both mass-produced while also being artistic. I am interested in the emotional response people have to objects and the stories they tell. How these stories exist at the moment but also live on in new ways.
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April - June 2022
Emerging Potters – 27 Work in Progress
Yaron Meyer Landing Image: Memory tears With the task of responding to the Victoria and Albert’s Glass Collection, I picked a curious glass vessel, part of a series of ten. It really disturbed me that I didn’t understand the use of this object. The museum’s description was limited (solely described in its archive as a 18-19th century Swan Neck Bottle from Persia). From my research, I found considerable further information. This object was a tear collector. It led me to research grief and burial ceremonies and the history of Persia from that time. This research later made me think about the reason for crying, the culture of weeping and remnants after tears evaporate.
Georgina Fuller Courting Candles It is a common observation that candles are associated with romance and acts of love. My project is an exploration of courtship within our contemporary society in comparison to that of the renaissance. Two different time periods with very different romantic ideas. I have designed a 3D printed porcelain candle holder whose structure subtly references the memorable spiral design of the 18th century courting candle. They were used by the father to set boundaries for his daughter when her suitor came calling. Enamels including cobalt majolica, lustres and decals have been meticulously applied to its surface. Symbols associated with both traditional and contemporary dating are painted in a grotesque style. Between the spirals are references from love poems I have found, which explore the use of language between the two periods.
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April - June 2022
COLLECT 2022
Collect, is the leading international fair for contemporary craft and design, returning to Somerset House from in February 2022 and online at Artsy.net. Produced by the UK Crafts Council and now in its 18th year. Selected by a panel of experts, the exhibiting galleries represent some of the most exciting international craft artists working today, from the emerging to the established. Collect provides a superlative opportunity for collectors to purchase pieces made in the last five years, making the fair a truly global event. The fair also represents an unrivalled setting for internationally renowned institutions to acquire contemporary craft for their collections; the V&A Museum has regularly sourced from Collect over its 18 years, making a record 13 purchases in 2020. Alongside these international galleries Collect Open, the fair’s platform for pioneering craft installations by emerging artists, returns with 12 exciting projects by artists and collectives from Chile, France, Israel, and the UK.
The works at Collect represent the most expansive understanding of contemporary craft and cover the widest range of disciplines, materials, and processes. Lacquerware, neon, jewellery, furniture, tapestry, ceramics, metalwork, fibre art and glass are all displayed side-by-side to create a unique collecting environment. With several new and returning gallerists drawing on backgrounds in architecture or interior design for their 2022 curation, many artists are reimagining traditional craft processes – with striking results. New artist Amanda McCavour, represented by the returning Cynthia Corbett Gallery (England) presents an arresting cascade of poppies. Specialising in East Asian histories, new gallery Maud and Mabel (England) celebrates the artists’ shared interest in adapting old forms, surfaces, and techniques to create exciting, unique ceramic works. Newcomer artist collective FIVE (England) will present ‘Conversations in Silver,’ a series of pieces approaching the medium in non-traditional ways by silversmiths from a cross section of generations and backgrounds.
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Emerging Potters – 27 Collect Open
Jemma Gowland Collect Open
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April - June 2022
This project arises from research into the experiences of upbringing and how this has changed, or not, from 1939 to the present. The result is a series of ceramic figures that explore the formative experience, with each year being represented by a single piece highlighting objects, stance and clothing from key memories, using metaphor and realism. Marching on together towards change. We are what our upbringing made us. Jemma exploits the properties of ceramic materials to create figures with subtly disrupted surfaces, delicate clothes and doll’s faces cast in porcelain.
Emerging Potters – 27 Collect Open
Loraine Rutt Collect Open
April - June 2022
EARTH comprises a collection of world maps presented as faux archaeological objects. Each piece explores a point, or era, in the past seven generations that has shaped our world view. Using an eclectic range of ceramic processes, each map seeks to combine cartographic accuracy with explorations.
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Emerging Potters – 27 Collect Open
Laura Quinn (Glass) Collect Open
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April - June 2022
The inspiration for the work comes from theorist Michael Polanyi’s writings on tacit knowledge. Tacit Dimensions is a series of tactile glass forms that explore what tacit, or silent, knowledge of the material and making process the viewer experiences through viewing and physical engagement. The intricate glass formations evoke a curiosity to interact with.
Emerging Potters – 27 Collect Open
April - June 2020
Madeinbritaly Gallery The gallery showcases contemporary applied arts and collectible design, aiming to revive the connection between Italy and Great Britain, two nations that sought a synthesis between aesthetic value and the industrial production of manufactured goods.
Elica Studio Porcelain, engobes, oxides
It pursues teo main themes: one purely decorative, including unique pieces or limited editions by contemporary artists and makers, the other focusing on exquisite objects of use created by contemporary designers.
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Emerging Potters – 27 Collect 2022
Maud & Mabel Gallery Below
Kenta Anzai Yoko Ozawa Kenta Anzai
April - June 2022
This is the first time that Maud & Mabel have shown the work of their makers at Collect. Located in Hampstead Village, in London the gallery is a curated space centering on the Japanese aesthetic of Shibumi, the balance of simplicity, complexity, perfection and imperfection through a range of craft materials. The gallery represents over 60 makers internationally.
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Emerging Potters – 27 Collect 2022
Thrown Gallery – London Fascinated by process, Thrown Gallery seeks out distinctive contemporary art in its many forms with a particular focus on clay. The gallery represents internationally acclaimed makers alongside emerging talent, providing a much-needed platform for makers finding their identity as artists.
April - June 2022
Top image: 'No More Grey Skies. Installation by Helen Beard' Bottom: Vessels by Tom Kemp (front) with bottle and teapot sets by Karl Sebastian (back left), 'Woman' sculptures by Karina Smagulova (back middle) and Wheel-thrown wine 'glasses' by Matt Cronshaw (back right).
The gallery was established in London in 2018 by Claire Pearce who has worked in galleries across the UK.
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April - June 2022
Ceramic Art London 2022 This April sees the keenly awaited return of Europe’s largest ceramics event, following an enforced two-year break. Taking place over three days in the grand concourse of Central Saint Martins, which is close to King’s Cross station in London Ceramic Art London builds on three years of expansion that have seen audiences triple, with every event sold out. Featuring 92 leading makers from 11 different countries and with price points ranging between £20 – £5000, Ceramic Art London is one of the most important places to see and buy the best contemporary ceramics, from the functional and decorative to the abstract and architectural. Returning to the show is Verity Howard and work inspired by the maps of her local area made by Alfred Watkins in Hereford. Another maker inspired by her environment is Kathryn Hearn who is presenting a new range of work. Charlotte Pack who is a previous student from Central Saint Martins produces her handmodeled animals which are in danger in the wild.
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This year’s cohort of exhibitors also includes 24 newcomers. Among them, James Evans, whose textural corrugated works are crusted with rusted iron, Thai artist Eiair (or Hassakorn Hirunsirichoke) with his intricate and alienesque miniature forms and, from Canada, Toni Losey whose sculptural works draw on the natural world and evoke imaginings of new-fangled marine life. Other notable first-timers include Emma Lacey whose sublimely simple but tactile table wares recently made an appearance on The Great British Bake-Off, and Andrew Walker whose brutalism-inspired graphic vessels resemble stoneware paper lanterns. Returning makers include Tricia Thom, with her Japaneseinspired porcelain works, renowned maker Sue Pryke, who, as well as being a major designer for IKEA, is a judge for The Great Pottery Throw Down and Patricia Shone, whose natural textures reflect the formation and erosion in the geology of the Isle of Skye where she lives and works.
Emerging Potters – 27 Ceramic Art London
April - June 2022
Verity Howard and one makers journey to CAL 2022 I am very pleased to be exhibiting at Ceramic Art London for the second time in April 2022. The standard and breadth of work represented at this show is incredible, so it is an honour to take part. Covid has had a tremendous impact on my practice with nearly all of my planned exhibitions in 2020-2021 being postponed or cancelled. The first lockdown in March 2020 was really hard, however, it spurred me on to redesign my website and create an online shop. I feel that many makers found themselves in a similar situation and for me, Covid has meant I have improved and adapted the way I present and sell my work online.
Over the past two years I have created a body of work titled, ‘Sacrificial Stone Series 2’, which centres on my research into Alfred Watkins, a Herefordian naturalist. The title ‘Sacrificial Stone’ came from one of Watkins’ maps. I was intrigued by this atmospheric, mysterious place name, which to me evokes a sense of the surreal, stone like, obscured and encaged. I have since been using clay to explore the images and feelings that I associate with these words.
With physical exhibitions being scarce, I took the time to apply for international ceramics competitions in order to build on the presence of my work abroad. I was successful in being selected for Ceramic Art Andenne, Belgium and will be exhibiting in their ‘International Exhibition of Contemporary Ceramics’ from 14th May- 12th June 2022. Also key to my work is running ceramics workshops in the community and in educational settings. A lot of this work ceased as lockdowns meant it was not possible to go into these venues. I therefore took on a new role, from June 2020March 2021, as Project Manager of Herefordshire Headway’s new online service. Herefordshire Headway is a charity that supports and rehabilitates adults with acquired brain injuries. I have worked at Headway as the Pottery Tutor since 2017. This new service enabled Headway clients to access online sessions such as art, exercise and music therapy from their own homes while the coronavirus pandemic prevented face to face contact. I learnt a lot from this rewarding role and realised how many transferable skills I had gained from years of running an art practice.
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Ceramic Art London
April - June 2022
The surfaces on my works have been achieved by monoprinting using coloured slips. The colour and placement of this surface decoration takes inspiration from the colouration of rocks, as well as lichen and mosses growing on them. I evoke a feeling of my forms being obscured and encaged by layering up monoprints using manmade meshes. I am interested in the juxtaposition between the natural form of the pieces and this manmade surface decoration. This adds to the surreal atmosphere surrounding the work and results in the pieces having a sense of belonging but also being placeless.
I am interested in the viewer bringing their own personal narrative to the work, much like how I started this series, bringing my own thoughts and ideas to the title ‘Sacrificial Stone’.
I cut up slabs of clay and collage them together to create stone like forms. I accentuate the joins between the slabs to reference the natural facets and angles found on rocks.
I am looking forward to showcasing this new body of work to collectors, galleries and ceramics enthusiasts visiting Ceramic Art London from across the UK and abroad. I cannot wait to talk to visitors face to face and exhibit in person once again, in what promises to be a fantastic return of Ceramic Art London, 2022.
Emerging Potters – 27 Ceramic Art London
April - June 2022
Barry Stedman
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Emerging Potters – 27 Ceramic Art London
April - June 2022
Charlotte Pack
Emerging Potters – 27 Ceramic Art London
Emily Stubbs
April - June 2022
Tony Losey
Above: Mitch Pilkington Left: Zoe Whiteside Above left: Sally MacDonell
Emerging Potters – 27 Ceramic Art London
Kathryn Hearn
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April - June 2022
Emerging Potters – 27 Ceramic Art London
Matthew Blakely Cleo Mussi
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April - June 2022
Emerging Potters – 27 Harewood Biennial
April - June 2022
Harewood Biennial Harewood Biennial 2022RADICAL ACTS: WHY CRAFT MATTERS Saturday 26 M arch to Monday 29 August 2022 Harewood House, Leeds LS17 9LG Generously supported by Arts Council England Tickets available from 1 November 2021
Opening this March, the second edition of the Harewood Biennial ‘Radical Acts,’ will bring to life craft knowledge and practice through new and existing works from 16 practitioners, throughout the state floor and grounds around Harewood House. Curated by Hugo Macdonald, the Biennial explores why craft is a radical act, helping us to address urgent crises in contemporary life, and offering a future where individuals, communities and societies operate within better systems. A preview digital biennial programme of films and podcasts, introducing the work and principles of seven of the exhibitors is available for online viewing.
Mac Collins, outside Harewood House. Photo Dawn Kelly
Many exhibitors will explore Harewood’s own roots and its future, as the Trust continues to re-imagine what makes a historic house and its landscape relevant in the 21st century. They will also reflect on, and respond to, important conversations around restoration and repair, regeneration, and wellbeing. It is the Biennial’s ambition to entertain and engage Harewood’s audience with optimistic messages to inspire and empower visitors to think and act with purpose in their own daily lives. The exhibitors taking part in the Harewood Biennial 2022 are: Mac Collins, Sebastian Cox, Eunhye Ko, Fernando Laposse, Michael Marriott, Bobby Mills, Francisca Onumah, Celia Pym, Bisila Noha and Robin Wood; as well as Ilse Crawford & Nanimarquina, Margent Farm, Good Foundations International, Retrouvius, Smile Plastics and the Community Clothing.
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Emerging Potters – 27 Harewood Biennial
Mac Collins For the Biennial, Mac Collins is designing a site-specific furniture commission in The Cinnamon Drawing Room:a domino set, games table and stools, inspired by the Caribbean community’s domino-playing culture. The furniture is deliberately sturdy and more informal in comparison to the slim, upright profiles of the Chippendale furniture elsewhere. Mac describes their presence in this room, lined with portraits of the Lascelles family, as a combined act of material and socio-cultural representation. Bisila Noha Ceramicist Bisila Noha will exhibit vessels from her ongoing Baney Clay project, using clay from Equatorial Guinea as a medium to explore her dual Spanish/Equatorial Guinean heritage. As well as exploring her own identity through clay, Bisila is on a quest to bring forgotten female African potters into the spotlight. Good Foundations International Good Foundations International work in communities with no clean drinking water. They find clay sources, build kilns and teach members of the community how to fire ceramic water filters that clean 99% bacteria from water, using an ancient filtration technique. This is craft in action as a vital tool for human survival. Jane Marriott, Director of Harewood House Trust, says: ‘The Harewood Biennial is a bold exhibition for our times, exploring the transformative power of craft and creativity, which connects people and empowers communities. Inspired by our diverse history, collections and landscape, the show invites our visitors to learn more about Harewood’s past as we continue to look towards its future. We are incredibly excited to work with these talented makers; to share their stories with our audiences, and perhaps even, to inspire some positive change in us all.’
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Reunion V.Eyes Wide Open
April - June 2022
Emerging Potters – 27
April - June 2022
Turning Earth Studios
Emerging Potters – 27
April - June 2022
What the pandemic has changed By Stella Cassanelli, Turning Earth The decision to expand Turning Earth studios into new communities came during lockdown when it looked like we might go under. Our users in Hoxton and Leyton fought hard to keep the studios afloat, providing critical financial support before the government loans kicked in. Their generosity really moved us, and all the messages of support helped us to see just what the studio meant to them. However, many of them couldn’t easily return to the studio even as the government lifted restrictions because the commute was just too much in the new world that Covid had created. We made the commitment then that, if we survived, we would open Turning Earth studios within an easy walk or cycle for more people. Our management team live in Tottenham, so we are very interested in this area. While we are planning to open other sites in London over the next couple of years (next stop Highgate) we will continue to do our own creative work at the new West Green studio. Tallie, our Creative Director, saw the West Green building while walking along Downhills, while on one of her post-lockdown walks. It’s a beautiful Victorian factory with a saw-toothed roof and even from the street you could see that it would have incredible natural light. When randomly searching it out online, she found that it had just been listed for rent. It feels fitting that the commitment to bringing Turning Earth into more communities in the wake of the pandemic means that we now have one on our own doorstep. The West Green studio has already proven more popular than we could have expected. We sold out all our class at the very beginning of January and had to add more. So now we have over 100 people a week on our courses. Around 100 people have signed up as open-access members so far and the majority of these people are living locally.
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April - June 2022
Emerging Potters – 27
Fire & Flourish Alumni Showcase
Celebrating the Achievements of Morley College Ceramics Graduates 2017-2021 The beautifully refurbished Morley Gallery, in London’s Waterloo, recently hosted an exhibition which celebrated the eclectic talents of Morley Colleges HND Ceramics Graduates. Morley first made its move into Higher Education in 2017, and since then its tutors, students and graduates have formed a tightly knit community; brought together through their HND Ceramics course and also by their collective experiences in education under lockdown. This exhibition showcased striking conceptual and sculptural pieces, innovative functional ware and decorative ceramic objects. The work exemplified the individuality of the makers who were nurtured on the course
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The small year-group sizes and focus on advanced practical craft skills, ceramic material knowledge, design development and use of digital technology has evidently produced some amazing results. The Alumni have all gone on to develop their ceramics practices and have continued to build creative careers since graduating. Students have set up their own or shared studioworkshops, topped-up to degree level, or have gained direct entry onto MA’s at Farnham and London’s Royal College of Art, a few are now teaching adults themselves. Exhibition ran from 16th to 31st March 2022. Image: Jane Wilson
Emerging Potters – 27 Fire & Flourish
April - June 2022
Ann Gardner (Left) Size: 26cm x 28cm. The porcelain piece is high fired and polished. During lockdown Anne created a series of quiet, reflective, porcelain sculptures exploring the subtlety of light and shadow across a surface. Origami’s minimalist aesthetic has been the inspiration behind this geometric piece. mailto:annegardnerdesigns@gmail.com
Claudette Forbes (Below) lip cast stoneware fashion and fast food branded cows, 15cm, 7cm, 15cm. Cow on tongue, 23cm, 13cm. Photo: Valerie Bernardini Claudette’s work draws on her life experiences as a child of Jamaican parents growing up in inner city Bristol. She seeks to test interpretations of the present day whilst producing tangible objects that contain a certain beauty and references the past. “Poor Cow” is a collection of fashion and fast food branded ceramic cows and illustrated milk bottles. The collection's genesis was a family trip to Jamaica some 20 years ago; Montego Bay's first McDonald's had just opened. In a neighbouring field stood a solitary cow. “I like to use humour in my work, even when addressing serious, topical issues. The process of making this collection informed my conceptual development, leading me to reflect on our consumption of the cow and its environmental impact.”
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Emerging Potters – 27 Fire & Flourish
Cathy Green (Right) The sculpture is slipcast in sections from white stoneware clay, glazed in a satin matt glaze. The individual sections are slotted over a metal pole. It is1m tall. “My current body of work is based around the rhombic triacontahedron. The sculptures combining different colours and sizes of this basic form as a kind of constructional puzzle. They are inspired by the geometry and patterns in nature. Multi-faceted, they play with light, colour, shadow, and the relationship between positive and negative space. Modular sections are each slip cast individually then joined to form larger structures some of which can appear to defy gravity." cathy@greentribe.co.uk
Valerie McLean Material: Smokefired Terracotta and Patinated Bronze Dimensions: ceramic piece, 20cm by 15 cm, bronze: 11cm by 8cm Photo credit is @valeriebernardini I use metal and clay to create abstract volumes inspired by human dwellings, and to explore themes of identity and otherness. Each piece is unique but shares with the other a sense of origin. In this game of contrast and complementarity, the choice of material is important and so is my decision to keep tool marks. Beyond contrasting materials and textures, this composition reminds us of our universal need for shelter and our shared capacity for making and using tools. It is for me a symbolic reminder that however we try to clad ourselves and others with arbitrary defining physical or cultural attributes, when everything is stripped bare, we are all just that one thing: human. vvgmclean@gmail.com
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April - June 2022
Emerging Potters – 27 Fire & Flourish
April - June 2022
Fiona Bruce Washed Ashore: The pieces I have made here are inspired by my many years of beachcombing and in particular, long walks on the beautiful Scottish west coast. I have used porcelain, oxides and slips to create pieces which evoke the patterns and textures of beach objects. Fragile shells, marine creatures and drift wood fragments are washed ashore by the tide, bleached and weathered by sun and salt waves. Working with thin, stretched porcelain has enabled me to capture nature’s qualities of fragility, lightness and strength.
Annie Cushing Annie Cushing @cushingannie I work mainly with slip cast porcelain and Parian creating geometric and abstract forms with optical illusion for intrigue. This set ‘Zigzag’ of octahedrons references the fluidity and high energy movement of molecules in the firing process which results in work that is very still. Parian 22cm Slipcast with decals.
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Emerging Potters – 27 Fire & Flourish
Sue Gunn
Valerie Bernardini
(Above) The ever changing landscape of our world, whether as a result of natural phenomena or the impact of man’s actions, is the inspiration for this collection.
(Below) "Each piece is a one-off piece, very light and fragile, hand-made in porcelain, unglazed. My photography and ceramic works are intrinsically linked and grow from each other. Pictures and objects inspire each other yet retain separate identities. My work catches a moment of the past, forever gone, and yet stilled.
High fired porcelain is combined with fractured and bubbled glazes which evoke images of dried and crumbled earth, lava flows and coastal erosion. These hybrid pieces combine the sculptural with a functional aesthetic and can be used as holders for beeswax ritual candles. @suegunnartist https://www.suegunnartist.com/ Photo: Valerie Bernardini
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The frontier between past and present, life and non-life, is blurred, inducing a feeling of nostalgia." email: valeriebernardini@me.com https://valeribernardini5e42.myportfolio.com Instagram : valerie-bernardini
April - June 2022
Emerging Potters – 27 Fire & Flourish
Ewan Crallan Egg cube To fit all egg sizes, quail to duck. Stackable, dishwasher safe, and fun. A range of clays and colours available. Info - @ewancrallanceramics.
Judith Williams (Left) Fask, 15cm x 11cm, slip cast porcelain, decorated using slip and oxide with glossy transparent glaze. My objective was to produce an item that would be attractive to look at, pleasing to handle and practical to use. jawilliamz@hotmail.co.uk
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Wendy Kershaw will be exhibiting at ‘Only Clay’ this September, Kelham Island Museum, Sheffield. 24th and 25th September
