After a two-year break Ceramic Art London is back, taking place over three days in the grand concourse of Central Saint Martins, Ceramic Art London will build 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 the place to see and buy the best contemporary ceramics, from the functional and decorative to the abstract and architectural.
This year’s cohort of exhibitors 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 Japanese-inspired 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. Animals and nature are a recurring theme, from Jenny Southam’s pastoral scenes to Charlotte Pack’s Species Pots to Zoe Whiteside’s white stoneware polar bears.
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. Animals and nature are a recurring theme, from Jenny Southam’s pastoral scenes to Charlotte Pack’s Species Pots to Zoe Whiteside’s white stoneware polar bears.
“Patience and resilience is a prerequisite for life as a potter, but the pandemic has tested the best of us to the limit. Potters are used to isolation too. While we are well-practised at being holed up in the studio – exploring and developing new ideas and designs – the past two years have shown us that we cannot do what we do in a bubble. It has shown us that we need other people; people who offer critiques of our output, who appreciate and buy what we make and, crucially, it has shown us how much we gain as part of a supportive community of fellow makers. So, I am beyond thrilled that the return of this important and joyous convening means that we get to see each other once again.”
— Lara Scobie, Ceramic Artist and Chair of Ceramic Art London
Programmed by Central Saint Martins Lecturer Duncan Hooson, ClayTalks returns with a series of illuminating talks given by prestigious names from the ceramic world. Highlights this year include a keynote by design writer and director of the Zaha Hadid Foundation Paul Greenhalgh, who will address the space ceramics has historically occupied in the cultural and social scheme of things, meditating on what its role could and should be now.
Other speakers include award-winning artist Lawrence Epps whose talk Hidden Treasure – acts of acquisition and disrupting the rules of the gallery will explore the nature of chance, success and our relationships to objects of value; Simeon Featherstone who will reflect on his ceramic practice and role as a creative facilitator of public art projects in the UK, and how clay can make connections between people and their local environment; independent curator and educator Tessa Peters on the potential benefits and possible limitations of collaborative and public-facing ways of working; Dr Guan Lee who will present Digital Manual, an ongoing research project investigating hybrid methods of fabrication using different composite materials including clay, and exploring new ways of manufacturing architectural components while questioning their technological context in the sphere of social sustainability; C J O’Neill, who will demonstrate through her practice, the contribution of the valuable (and often unseen) others in the work we do and the people we become; Christie Brown who will offer an overview of her many years of figurative ceramic practice in relation to museum collections; celebrated tableware ceramicist Sue Pryke will reflect on her 25 years of experience working within the tableware industry, collaborating with volume producers and high street retailers, as well as making small scale studio work for independent shops and galleries; Professor Steve Dixon will speak on the unique potential of ceramics as a material for narrative and commemoration, with further talks to be announced soon.
On Air – at Ceramic Art London 2022
This year, Ceramic Art London is playing host to On Air, a satellite exhibition and series of live events investigating the urgent topic of air pollution. Situated at The Crossing in Central Saint Martins’ public foyer, and curated by Dutch design-duo, Smogware (Iris de Kievith and Annemarie Piscaer) and London artist Jo Pearl, On Air will investigate the urgent problem of air pollution using smog dust, clay, glaze, ceramics and clay stop-frame animation to make visible and tangible this invisible poison, aiming to
stimulate discussion, debate and vitally, action. The exhibition will feature work by five international and British artists: Smogware’s provocative teacups coloured with smog-stained glazes, Kim Abeles’s challenging work allowing ambient particulate dust to fall on commemorative plates revealing portraits of world leaders and their pledges on air quality.
The show will also include work from glaze specialist Linda Bloomfield who has been representing lichen in glazes, as early-indicators of air pollution, Jasmine Pradissitto who sculpts in Noxtek, a ceramic geopolymer capable of absorbing nitrogen dioxide and Jo Pearl who combines ceramics with clay animation to bring the topic of gasping for breath to life. On Air will also feature the Air Lab – a place for informal discussion where visitors can hear about how the work has been made, how the works and glazes can be ‘read’, with more information to inspire makers to get involved with an expanding international network of artists exploring the problem.
As we consider the impact of the pandemic on the world of ceramics – travel limitations, scarcity of materials and the vulnerability of self-employment – it’s perhaps helpful to remember how this over 28,000 year-old artform has endured despite wars, environmental catastrophe, famine, and disease. While the world convulses, the material remains constant – offering up endlessly mutable forms that serve as reassuring touchstones that mark out time. So, we celebrate the return of the makers, the potters, the ceramic artists and the people who love what they make. We can’t wait!
— Antony Quinn, Course Leader BA Ceramic Design, Central Saint Martins
