Ceramic Art London 2018 – Review

Review by Paul Bailey

Set in the concourse area of Central Saint Martins, University of London, Ceramic Art London (CAL) has produced another stunning show. Produced by the Craft Potters Association, it has taken up an annual residence at the college close to King’s Cross in the centre of a rapidly developing area of London.

This year the show had 91 exhibitors, with 23 being there for the first time, 23 makers from outside the UK, and 43 who are members of the Craft Potters Association. During the three day show there were a series of talks from makers such as Grayson Perry, Phoebe Cummings (the winner of the Woman’s Hour Craft Prize for 2017), and Keith Brymer Jones from BBC2’s ‘Great Pottery Throw Down’.

Below is a selection of those taking part, with all the work being for sale. From the well established makers to those who graduated just a few years ago, and those who are showing for the first time, the show gives a perspective of the wealth of talent being produced.

Jessica Thorn – “I am charmed with the ability a handmade object has to allow an everyday ritual become more pleasurable. With this in mind I have designed and made a collection of functional and decorative pieces based around the theme Still life. Each piece is individually slab-built with porcelain, focusing on form and showing off the pure quality of the ceramic.” The process of her work is driven by a belief in the value and importance of celebrating craftsmanship within handmade objects. She shows this through an elusive joining technique, leaving a stitch-like line and a trail of the maker’s marks.

Barbara Hast (pictured below) – “The natural growth process of plants and fruit has inspired these quirky creations of white gold. Plainly and modestly, they refer to the 17th century’s love of nature and remind us of the exotic curiosities of baroque treasure chambers. The objects contain a whole variety of allusions.”

In Ho Song – “First, I mould rough shapes of various animals using hand-building techniques. Then, I draw imaginary animals on them, just like drawing on a canvas. I reconstituted the Kkokdu with imaginary animals instead of human characters, and intended to satirize on human greed and express other creatures’ dignity.” The work’s motif is a Korean traditional funerary figure, Kkokdu, which is a witty human-shaped wooden figure known to take a role in sharing the happiness with passed ones and relieving their sorrows, coming and going between this world and the next.

Akiko Hirai – “Ceramic works are made with inorganic materials such as metals and minerals then fired at extreme heat. Chemical reactions happen during this process. The surface effects on my work are created while I control the kiln.”

Charlotte Pack (pictured below) – “Working in a new larger scale ‘Biome pots’, I use coiled vessels which incorporate hand built flora and fauna with a stringent message. All the wildlife are featured on the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species. Using an earthy palette, each ‘Biome’ contains a community of endangered wildlife that occupies specific biomes and eco-systems.” The smaller slip cast ‘Species Pots’ are in a more playful colour palette, and each is adorned with an individual endangered species. Charlotte donates 15% of profit on sales to wildlife conservation.

Hannah Tounsend – “My work combines ceramics and printmaking to create collections of sensitively realised vessel forms and subtly layered monoprints exploring the layered landscapes and sea-washed, weatherworn surfaces of the British coastline.”

Lauren Nauman – “My work explores the boundaries within clay through experimental processes. I start with the industrial method of plaster molds and slip-casting; however, I don’t always use these in traditional ways. With my current project Lines, an additive method is used to create pieces with minimal amounts of clay.” The suggestions of vessels start out as straight cages of wet clay and through the power of the kiln’s heat and the pyroplasticity of the clay, they move like fabric to evolve into a wire-like sculpture that still holds the materiality of porcelain.

Richard Miller (pictured below) – “I draw on themes of British colonialism and the way in which the UK has become an eclectic mix of cultural styles, as immigration has brought with it a rich source of influence.” His wheel thrown stoneware vessels make reference to historical design patterns, and he is particularly interested in things that have stylistically become adopted by the British mainstream.

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