• The Korea Ceramic Foundation (KOCEF) just opened the applications for the 2024 Korean International Ceramic Biennale (KICB) International Competition. The event aims to provide ceramists in Korea and abroad an opportunity to present their works, in addition to encouraging the exchange of current trends in ceramic art and proposing a future vision for the field. This year marks the 11th iteration of the competition, which features the KICB Grand Prize worth ~$45,000. The 12th edition will take place for the first time at the Gyeonggi Museum of Ceramic Design in Yeoju. In recognition of their exceptional talent and creativity, the 60 artists selected for the competition will each be honored with the KICB Prize. Read more about the applications on Ceramics Now. The deadline for applications is March 18.

• There are a few days left to apply for the International Ceramics Competition Carouge 2024: Festivities. Three prizes will be awarded: a First Prize in the amount of 10,000 Swiss francs, a prize sponsored by the Bruckner Foundation in the amount of 2,000 Swiss francs, and a prize sponsored by swissceramics in the amount of 1,000 Swiss francs.

• The wonderful people behind the Bird of Paradise International Ceramic Symposium invite artists to apply to this year’s symposium (pdf file), which will take place between May 15-27 at Lopota Lake Resort & Spa, Georgia, Eastern Europe. Applications are due March 4.

• Explore a part of Australia’s vibrant ceramic art scene through Lilianne Milgrom’s recent article. From Claire Ellis’s environmental activism to Georgia Harvey’s cultural explorations and the collaborative brain of Kate Jones & Parker Lev Dupain, discover how these artists blend tradition, community, and activism into extraordinary creations.

• In the green city of Panevėžys, Lithuania, resides an expansive collection of contemporary ceramics. While the locals may not be entirely aware of the city’s international ceramic symposiums, Panevėžys stands as a distinguished hub for global ceramists. Read Aurelija Seilienė’s article about the vibrant world of the Panevėžys International Ceramic Symposium.

• Applications are open for the Off Center International Ceramics Art Competition until Monday, February 26. Organized by Blue Line Arts (California), this year’s competition is seeking a special focus on installation artworks and large-scale ceramics.

• CERCCO (the Center for Experimentation and Realisation in Contemporary Ceramics of the Geneva University of Art and Design) invites applications for two residencies of 3 months. Workspace at CERCCO is open to designers, artists, architects and ceramists wishing to experiment and carry out a specific project. CERCCO will make a wide range of technical and artistic expertise available. Applications deadline: March 15.

• Belger Arts (Kansas City) invites artists to apply to their residencies until March 1st. Their programs are open to artists looking to further their artistic and professional careers and gain experience in a working studio environment. They currently accept applications for residencies beginning in August.

• Book recommendation: The Mold-Making Manual: The Art of Models, Molds, and Slip-Cast Ceramics, by Jonathan Kaplan. In this book, Jonathan draws on his 55+ years of experience to provide a methodology for problem-solving in ceramics, using plaster not only as a design tool but also as a way to generate forms for reproduction.

• Join artists Harriet Hellman and Jess Skelton for Clay in Conversation 7: Connection, the seventh in a series of conversations curated by artist Julia Ellen Lancaster, presenting artists working with clay and ceramics. Each conversation centers on a specific theme – acting as a lens through which the artists will present a piece of work or project. A Q&A session with the audience follows the presentations. The event will be held at the University of Westminster, London, on March 8.

• The Archie Bray Foundation (Helena, MT) has several new positions open, including Exhibitions and Events Assistant Manager, Gallery Sales Associate, Digital Content Creator, and Development and Events Coordinator.

• What’s On View: En Iwamura: Yama-Asobi is on view at Ross+Kramer, Miami / Patrice Renee Washington: Tendril is on view at The Institute for Contemporary Art at VCU, Richmond / Resonance by Lisa Creskey, Susan Day & Eddy Firmin is on view at The Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery, Ontario / Terra Incognita is on view at Valcke Art Gallery, Ghent / Colour & Movement is on view at the Leach Pottery Museum, St Ives / Sylvia Netzer: Goddesses + Emaciation is on view at A.I.R. Gallery, New York / Kimiyo Mishima is on view at Sokyo Gallery, Kyoto / Edges is on view at Wexford Arts Centre, Wexford

Exhibitions

Discover these ceramic exhibitions that were recently featured in Ceramics Now.

• California Clay at Bedford Gallery, Walnut Creek
• Bente Skjøttgaard: Timberline at Galerie Maria Lund, Paris
• Donna Green: At Last, No More at HB381 Gallery, New York
• Reyaz Badaruddin and Élodie Alexandre: From a home in the hills at GallerySKE, New Delhi
• Feigned Utility: New Ceramic Work by Shalene Valenzuela at Plinth Gallery, Denver
• Jinsik Yoo: Procession at Jane Hartsook Gallery, New York

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Featured image: Resonance by Lisa Creskey, Susan Day & Eddy Firmin at The Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery, Ontario

Applications are open for the KICB2024 International Competition

The 2024 Korean International Ceramic Biennale (KICB) International Competition, an art exhibition in the form of a competition, has been hosted by the Korea Ceramic Foundation (KOCEF) since 2001. This event aims at providing ceramists in Korea and abroad an opportunity to present their works, in addition to encouraging the exchange of current trends in ceramic art and proposing a future vision for the field. This year marks the 11th iteration of the international competition, and online application for the event is scheduled to become available from February 19th at 1 p.m., and will last until March 18th at midnight KST. Below is information relating to procedures for applying for the international competition, things for applicants to keep in mind, and the unique features of the event.

How to Apply for the KICB2024 International Competition
Only online application submissions will be accepted. The announcement for the competition is available on the KICB website and is downloadable in four languages (Korean, English, Japanese and Chinese). The submission page will be open on the KICB website on February 19th at 1 p.m. KST. On the submission page, applicants must provide the requested information and include the title of the work with a caption and description (in Korean or English). In addition, instructions on how to install the work and five images of the work must be provided. Since this competition will place as much emphasis on the background content aspect as it will on the visual aspect, it is recommended that participants give careful consideration to how they will approach writing the work’s description prior to submission. As with the submission process, the judging process will also take place online. The number of submissions for the international competition in the past ranged from 1,500 to 10,000 works. This year, only 60 entries will be selected from submissions for the exhibition. The selected 60 submissions will then be transported to Yeoju Dojasesang (previously, Brand Shop) in June for the second round of selection so that the top 10 awarded pieces will be selected after judging of the physical work. The exhibition will take place at the Gyeonggi Museum of Ceramic Design from September 6th, 2024 through February 2nd, 2025.

Things to Keep in Mind
Types of Works: This year, submissions are limited to works that use clay (ceramics) as the main material or primary theme. This includes traditional and heritage ceramics, functional ceramics, sculptural ceramics, and installation pieces. This even includes other formats such as multimedia and sound. Excluded works are those such as paintings, prints, or photographs, which, although may feature ceramics as a theme, do not fit with this competition’s aim of “expanding the possibilities of clay.”

Eligibility: As stated in the competition announcement, eligibility is limited to ceramic artists who hold the copyrights and ownership rights to their submitted works. The top 10 awarded pieces are to be housed at the Gyeonggi Museum of Contemporary Ceramic Arts. However, in rare cases, ownership rights may be held by a gallery or an individual. The limited eligibility is intended to avoid such rare cases.

Submission Conditions: As for the submission conditions, the announcement states that submissions are limited to original works or pieces that have not previously been awarded in any other domestic or international contests. Should a work that has previously been awarded in another contest be submitted and awarded in this international contest, the award will be revoked and the prize withdrawn.

Unique Features of the KICB2024 International Competition
KICB Traditional Prize: This year, the “KICB Traditional Prize” has been added as an award category of the international competition in response to the demands of the times. Additionally, it is for researching and preserving works, as well as for incorporating futuristic elements into the world’s traditional cultures. This is also an experimental attempt to assess the possibilities that enable the field of modern ceramics to grow and expand qualitatively through the interplay with traditional and heritage ceramics, which occupy a large portion of the ceramic art scene.

Exhibition Venue Change: For the 1st to 11th iterations of the KICB International Competition, the exhibition of the international competition has been held at the Gyeonggi Museum of Contemporary Ceramic Art in Icheon, where the thematic exhibition of the KICB was held. This year, the exhibition of the international competition will be held at the Gyeonggi Museum of Ceramic Design in Yeoju. Therefore, installation artists need to consider the spatial characteristics of the new exhibition venue, which has an interior that differs significantly from the “white cubes” of the previous venue.

Closing Award Gaps: There will be a change applied to the composition of the international competition awards this year. Awards will now comprise of the KICB Grand Prize (1), KICB Excellence Prize (7), KICB Traditional Prize (2), and KICB Prize (50), with award gaps being closed. Furthermore, except for one Grand Prize winner (with prize money of 60 million KRW), all the other nine prize winners (such as the Excellence Prize and Traditional Prize) will receive 10 million KRW each. In addition, the change in the award name from the Qualification Prize to the KICB Prize is intended to convey that the awardees are all exceptional artists whose submissions have been selected as the final 60 pieces in the international competition, which is an honor in itself, as the program has received at least 1,000 submissions each year. This year, all 60 artists whose submissions have been selected for the international exhibition will be awarded the same trophy. Despite the presence of some award gaps, this is meant to convey that all 60 artists are talented enough to be selected in the KICB2024 International Competition.

Contact
contact@kicb.or.kr

The applications are now open for the 2024 Shiwan Cup’s Annual International Youth Ceramic Arts Competition: Vitality Clay. The competition will take place at the Guangdong Shiwan Ceramics Museum (Foshan, China) in the Fall of 2024. Various prizes will be awarded, including a Grand Prize worth ~$25,000. Only artists between between the ages of 18 and 45 can apply.

Today we are featuring Kristina Rutar’s article about the kinetic nature of ceramics. From the initial malleability of clay to its final form, Rutar examines how societal views and artistic practices have shaped our interactions with ceramics. The article emphasizes the dynamic, evolving nature of ceramics, showcasing how the interaction between movement and the material opens up a cycle of change and expands clay’s expressive possibilities into performance, multimedia, concept art, and interdisciplinary projects.

Damon Crain at Culture Object New York is accepting submissions of functional forms for an upcoming show. You may submit a maximum of 5 works. This is a good opportunity for artists living in the US. Applications are due February 20, 2024.

For some forty years, potter, theorist, historian, and educator Paul Mathieu has been a powerful voice in ceramics discourse. Through his teaching, writing, lectures, exhibitions—and now, YouTube videos—Mathieu has consistently challenged conventional models for thinking about craft, particularly ceramics. Read Amy Gogarty’s article and discover the perspectives Paul Mathieu offers in his essays on ceramics.

The Clay Studio (Philadelphia, PA) is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year! Join their next Clay & Conversations online talk today (February 1) at 1 PM EST with artists Syd Carpenter & Martha Jackson Jarvis. Happy anniversary!

Sonoma Community Center (California) invites artists to apply to their Artist in Residence Program, offering ceramic artists a supportive work environment to explore ideas and create a cohesive body of work. They offer two 6-month, all-inclusive residencies per year for potters or ceramic sculptors. Applications are due February 15, 2024.

Houston Center for Contemporary Craft is pleased to announce the opening of online applications for the 2024-2025 Cycle (September 2024 – August 2025) of its Artist Residency Program. They offer time and space for craft artists to focus on their creative work and interact with the public. Applications are due March 1, 2024.

The second volume of Contemporary British Studio Pottery (Forms of Expression) was recently released in the US. This volume by Ashley Thorpe explores how contemporary makers use the ancient language of the pot to convey contemporary ideas, from the sculptural and painterly to the ecological and satirical. Find the book on Bookshop (US) or Amazon (world).

Nerikomi: The Art of Colored Clay, by Thomas Hoadley, will be released in February. Published by Herbert Press, this is a fully illustrated examination of the use of color in clay, outlining its history and exploring the styles and techniques of the leading modern makers. Pre-order the book on Bookshop (US) or Amazon (world).

Earlier this month, we published an overview of the winners of the 2023 Jingdezhen International Ceramic Art Biennale: The Journey of Ceramics. It’s a good opportunity to discover exceptional ceramic artists living in China.

We’ve also published Kristina Rutar’s article about the 5th International Ceramics Triennial UNICUM 2023, held in Ljubljana, Slovenia. The event showcased a stunning display of contemporary ceramic art from around the world.

What’s On View: Kiyoshi Kaneshiro and Brian Rochefort: Strange Matter and Linda Lopez: Drift are on view at Mindy Solomon Gallery, Miami / Gareth Mason: Seeing Things is on view at Carpenters Workshop Gallery, Paris / Babs Haenen: Porcelain Mountains at Kunstmuseum De Haag, The Hague / Experimental Ceramics is on view at Strathnairn Arts, Canberra / GRAAH is on view at Galerie Lefebvre & Fils, Paris / Olivia Bax: Floss is on view at Holtermann Fine Art, London

Exhibitions

Discover these ceramic exhibitions that were recently featured in Ceramics Now.

• Akio Takamori: Consideration at Keramikmuseum Westerwald, Höhr-Grenzhausen
• George Sherman: On Fire at Marta, Los Angeles
• Aesthetics of Everyday Objects: The Cup at ATLA, Los Angeles
• Kristy Moreno: The Company We Keep at OCHI, Los Angeles

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Featured image: Linda Lopez: Drift at Mindy Solomon Gallery, Miami

From the Ground Up: Ceramics in Context

Colonial Williamsburg is pleased to host the 2024 bi-annual Ceramics conference, in collaboration with MESDA (Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts), From the Ground Up: Ceramics in Context, March 22 and 23, 2024. Research, scholarship and collaboration among curators, scholars, archaeologists, potters and collectors is an ever-expanding and always rewarding endeavor. From hands-on workshops, to pottery demonstrations, to lectures by leaders in the field, there is something for every ceramic enthusiast in this exciting program which will culminate in a special punch gathering at a historic tavern.

Ceramics play an integral role in our lives. From the most intimate objects like our bathroom fixtures, to our favorite coffee and tea mugs, to parts of cell phones, and even the brakes on our cars, we encounter ceramics daily. This conference is an opportunity to explore the history of this fascinating material and its multiple global and regional layers.

Colonial Williamsburg and MESDA are uniquely positioned to carry out this conference collaboration, each venue playing to the strengths of its respective collection. For this year, the speaker roster reflects a number of topics that draw from archaeological and genealogical research and bring to light the connections made every day between fragments recovered below ground and the people who used them above ground. Those connections are further illuminated and brought to life by the intact objects found in Colonial Williamsburg’s renowned ceramics collection and other public and private collections.

The conference brings together many voices and explores new findings through recent discoveries in the worlds of pottery and porcelain. Keynote Ranjith Jayasena, senior archaeologist for the city of Amsterdam, sets the stage for our global overview of ceramics, encouraging all to see the social, political and economic connections made across oceans throughout the centuries of ceramics production. Among the many other speakers, Ronald Fuchs II, co-editor of the award-winning journal Ceramics in America, Bly Straub, curator at the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, and Merry Outlaw, senior curator of the archaeological collections at Historic Jamestowne, all share new discoveries in Chinese porcelain from 17th century Jamestown to 19th century Washington, D.C. Melissa and Matthew Dunphy delve into their tantalizing research and discoveries literally right under their feet as they provide a glimpse of ceramics consumption in 18th-century Philadelphia. Collector and scholar James Boswell discusses his collection of intact objects that parallel archaeological finds in 18th century Virginia. Brandt Zipp expounds on the important history of free Black potter Thomas Commeraw and his New York pottery, while author and researcher Lorraine German unravels the mysteries of important New England stoneware. And Juliana Falk provides a glimpse of ceramics from a Charleston, South Carolina, context. Renowned potter Michelle Erickson will put her own unique spin on the weekend from the potter’s wheel for a live video-assisted demonstration.

A special pre-conference highlight are optional hands-on workshops with Ceramics in America editor Rob Hunter, and with Colonial Williamsburg’s associate curator of ceramics and glass Angelika Kuettner, archaeological materials conservator Kate McEnroe, and senior curator of archaeological collections Sean Devlin. Celebrated ceramics scholar Rob Hunter will share his life-long passion for shell-edged wares, the topic of an important forthcoming publication he is coauthoring. Angelika provides participants with the chance to see and handle Colonial Williamsburg’s growing collection of refined ceramics—pottery and porcelain—made in America. From rare Philadelphia-manufactured Bonnin and Morris porcelain treasures and David Seixas’ green and black glazed earthenware marvels, to teawares made by Massachusetts potter Thomas Crafts, to Virginia-made treasures inscribed by George Kline, the workshop is an opportunity to see and handle familiar favorites and recent additions to Williamsburg’s important ceramics collection. Kate delves into an analysis of British-made wares copying French Bleu Persan inviting attendees to examine a fascinating discovery of a remarkable flower urn. And Sean shares the famous Martin’s Hundred archaeological collection, one of Colonial Williamsburg’s most important assemblages recovered from the 17th century.

The closing punch-themed gathering allows Colonial Williamsburg to share with attendees the Foundation’s famous hospitality in a period tavern setting in the heart of the historic town. What better way to end a ceramic event than with a toast from a ceramic punch bowl?!

A limited number of scholarships are made available through the generous contributions from our attendees and sponsors. Information about the scholarships as well as general registration and accommodation information may be found on the Foundation’s website. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to attend. Register today!

CJICB was co-hosted by Jingdezhen Ceramic University, Jingdezhen City, and Jiangxi Provincial Department of Cultural & Tourism. Sponsored by the International Academy of Ceramics (IAC).

Photos courtesy of the 2023 CJICB Organizing Committee

Article by Li Chao, Jingdezhen Ceramic University

Communication author: Xie Xuan, Jingdezhen Ceramic University

The Winning List of The Journey of Ceramics – 2023 Jingdezhen International Ceramic Art Biennale

First Prize (Jinglan Award）

5 Kaolin Prizes

10 Dowstone Art Special Awards

30 TaoXichuan Emerging Artist Awards

Applications are now open for the European Ceramic Context 2024. Their open call, How can ceramic makers, designers and artists adapt to more sustainable practices?, invites European artists to apply with artworks, installations, functional ware, etc, where sustainable practices are essential (the materials used must be predominantly ceramics). The ECC is part of the Bornholm Triennials for Contemporary European Glass and Ceramics. Applications are due March 1.

ceramic brussels, the first major fair dedicated to contemporary ceramics, will take place between January 25-28, 2024 on the Tour&Taxis site in Brussels. For its first edition, the fair will bring together around 60 international galleries, institutions and key players in contemporary ceramics. Twenty galleries will showcase a single artist in a solo show specially designed for the event. In addition to the participating galleries, ceramic brussels offers a series of conferences and other events, including presenting Johan Creten as guest of honor.

The American Museum of Ceramic Art (AMOCA) welcomes applications for 2024-2025 residencies. The Artist in Residence Program provides self-directed artists time, space, and support to experiment and develop a new body of work in a creative and supportive environment. Residencies last 9-12 months. Open to US-based artists. Prospective applicants are invited to join a live information session on Zoom with AMOCA staff, alongside current/former resident artists, to learn more about the Artist in Residence program. Applications are due January 31, 2023.

Two weeks are left to apply for the 2024 Westerwald European Ceramics Prize. The Westerwald Prize was awarded for the first time in 1973 in order to present outstanding ceramic works in a competition and an exhibition. Only residents or citizens of the geographical area of Europe are eligible to enter the competition.

Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts (Edgecomb, Maine) invites artists to apply for summer residency sessions. These sessions offer artists uninterrupted time to focus on their practices. During a session, up to sixteen artists form a creative community while living and working on campus. Participants enjoy 24-hour studio access, comfortable accommodations, and delicious meals. Organizing artists develop the themes for each session and invite a small group of artists to anchor the session with them. Applications are due February 1.

 Read Victoria Anastasyadis’s article about Sarah Pschorn’s work. To Sarah Pschorn (b. 1989), her solo exhibition ‘Records of Gravity’, held at Gerhard Marcks Haus in Bremen in early 2023, is not so much a look back as a look forward. Despite her years of experience working with clay, she feels she is still a novice. This is a portrait of a young sculptor and her art. This article is a specially updated and translated version for Ceramics Now of a text that previously appeared in Vormen uit Vuur 252 (2023/2), a Dutch academic journal on glass and ceramics.

The Australian Ceramics Triennale announced the dates and location of the 2025 edition. They invite researchers, artists, educators, and industry professionals to submit abstracts for oral presentations, panel discussions, and workshops addressing several themes.

 Read Adil Writer’s article about the inspiring life and legacy of Deborah Smith, co-founder of Golden Bridge Pottery (India). This moving tribute takes us through her journey to Pondicherry, showcasing her contribution to the world of ceramics and the profound influence she had on her community.

Explore MoCA-NY’s interactive Ceramic World Destinations map, an online directory housing over 3,000 destinations, where you can navigate and experience the global impact of ceramics. It serves as an unconventional mode of travel while offering avenues for education and exploration. The destinations range from museums, galleries, and design stores to residencies and artist studios.

The Ceramics Program in the Department of Art at the Tyler School of Art and Architecture, Temple University, invites applications for a full-time, two-year, non-tenure track faculty appointment beginning in Fall 2024, with the possibility of renewal.

What’s On View: Aesthetics of Everyday Objects: The Cup is on view at ATLA, Los Angeles / Nina Malterud: Glaze Stories is on view at Peach Corner, Copenhagen / Claire Curneen: A Creature Made of Clay is on view at James Freeman Gallery, London / Chase Travaille: Exquisite Corpse is on view at LaiSun Keane, Boston / Caro Suerkemper: Let Gravity Do Its Work is on view at Kunstforum Solothurn, Solothurn / Macarena Salinas: Cartografías Ancestrales is on view at Galería La Sala, Santiago de Chile / Volume 1: Reshaping Roots by Joanne Seongweon Lee is on view at Carbondale Clay Center, Carbondale / b. brown: a handful of earth, a handful of sky is on view at Hecho a Mano, Santa Fe / Krestine Harboe: Mytiske Horisonter is on view at Jacob Bjorn Gallery, Aarhus

Exhibitions

Discover these ceramic exhibitions that were recently featured in Ceramics Now.

• Radical Clay: Contemporary Women Artists from Japan at The Art Institute of Chicago
• Multiple Realities: Voices in Contemporary Indian Ceramics at the ClayArch Gimhae Museum, Gimhae
• Jiha Moon: Storyteller Yellow at Shoshana Wayne Gallery, Los Angeles

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Featured image: Krestine Harboe: Mytiske Horisonter at Jacob Bjorn Gallery, Aarhus

ceramic brussels fair unveils the program of its first edition

ceramic brussels, the international art fair dedicated to contemporary ceramics, will take place between January 25-28, 2024 on the Tour&Taxis site in Brussels, the heart of Europe.

For its first edition, the fair will bring together around 60 Belgian and international galleries, institutions and key players in contemporary ceramics. Twenty galleries will showcase a single artist in a solo show specially designed for the event. Presented mainly on the initiative of Belgian and French galleries, these solo show exhibitions will explore the specific world views of artists from a wide range of disciplines and nationalities.

The fair is co-managed by a Franco-Belgian duo, Gilles Parmentier and Jean-Marc Dimanche, with the support of renowned international experts in contemporary ceramics, who make up the advisory board for the first edition.

ceramic brussels aims to showcase the vitality and diversity of contemporary ceramics practice, support contemporary creation, and stimulate new exchanges between artists, institutions, galleries and the audience.

Participating galleries: AIFA (ch), Alice Gallery (be), Almine Reich (be/fr/us), aquilaluna (be), arsenicgalerie (fr), Atelier Ecru Gallery (be), backslash (fr), BeCraft (be), Berman Contemporary (za), CONSTELLATIONS GALLERY (za/be), Double V Gallery (fr), F R A C A S (be), GALERIE BERNARD JORDAN (fr/de/ch), GALERIE CAPAZZA (fr), Galerie Christine Colon (be), GALERIE DU PASSAGE (fr), Galerie DYS (be), Galerie Fontana (nl), Galerie Grès (fr), Galerie Jacques Cerami (be), Galerie La La Lande & SBA (fr), Galerie Lefebvre & Fils, Paris (fr), Galerie Maria Lund (fr), Galerie Michel Giraud (fr), Galerie Papillon (fr), galerie Sator (fr), Galerie Transit (be), Galerie Vallois (fr), Gallery Sofie Van den Bussche (be), Grège Gallery (be), Jonathan F. Kugel (be), Køppe Contemporary Objects (dk), La peau de l’ours (be), Lee Bauwens Gallery (be), Michel Rein (fr/be), Migrant Bird Space (de/cn), Modern Shapes Gallery (be), Modulab (fr), NeC nilsson et chiglien (fr), Nendo Galerie (fr), NQ Gallery Antwerpen (be), olivier castaing / Team School Gallery (fr), Patrick & Ondine Mestdagh From The Delville Collection (be), Peach Corner (dk), Puls Ceramics (be), Romero Paprocki (fr), Sorry We’re Closed (be), SPAX Projects (be), Spazio Nobile (be), Szydlowski (ch/pl), TATJANA PIETERS (be), The Second Act (uk), the Spaceless Gallery (fr/us), Valerius Gallery (lu), ZWART HUIS (be)

The fair developed an intense programme of activities. In addition to the participating galleries and institutions, ceramic brussels offers a series of conferences and other events.

10 winners of the ceramic brussels art prize

The ceramic brussels art prize was set up to give a platform of visibility to young European ceramic artists who are not represented by a gallery. Over 200 entries were received from artists all over Europe.

The ten winners will be exhibited in a group show at the fair and presented in a single publication: Antoine Moulinard, Audrey Ballacchino, François Bauer, Duo Vertigo, Damien Fragnon, Elsa Guillaume, Jonas Moënne, Inup Park, Joke Raes, Ming-Miao Ko.

Three prizes will also be awarded to the artists during the opening, including a jury prize with a solo exhibition during the second edition of ceramic brussels in 2025, a residency of 2 months in Paris with Fondation LAccolade – Institut de France, and a participation to a group show at The Centre Wallonie-Bruxelles/Paris in 2024. ⁠

Johan Creten: guest of honor 2024

Each year, ceramic brussels plans to invite a pioneer figure and representative to bring and elevate the programme by enriching it with his/her experience and perspectives on contemporary ceramics, as guest of honour.

For this first edition, the sculptor Johan Creten has embarked on this role and, as a member of the advisory board, is also contributing to the 2024 programme and participating in the selections.

“The artist, who has been working with ceramics since the late 1980s, when the medium was still considered taboo in the contemporary art world, is known for his innovative use of ceramics. Famous for his allegorical sculptures in ceramic and bronze, Johan Creten has been depicting a world full of poetry, lyricism, and mystery since the 1990s. They underline the importance of beauty in his work while at the same time reaffirming his humanist awareness and the social and political resonance of his practice. In his creative process, Johan Creten evokes “Slow art” and the need to return to introspection and exploration of the world with its individual and societal torments.”* (*Source)

An intense half-day of meetings and conferences

Organized for Thursday, 25 January 2024, the first day the exhibition is open to the public, the meeting and conference sessions will be held at the exhibition center between 1 pm and 7 pm.

The sessions are dedicated to reflection on the various issues that run through the practice of ceramics today and will expand the vision, developed by the founding duo, of an ‘activist’ fair.

Tailor-made installation by Rond Carré Studio

In collaboration with MAD Brussels, Centre de la Mode et du Design, ceramic brussels has launched a call for projects to allow a designer, an architect, and/or a studio to demonstrate the expertise and inventiveness of Brussels designers to the public at the fair, by developing and implementing an installation at the heart of its entrance areas.

The project was awarded to Rond Carré Studio, a design duo from Brussels whose monumental work will be on display at the entrance to the show.

A unique publication dedicated to the fair

For its first edition, the fair, in collaboration with the AMA newsletter, has produced a special magazine, available in FR/NL and ENG, to better understand the issues, prospects and challenges of contemporary ceramics at the heart of contemporary art.

Visit the website of ceramic brussels

Contact
info@ceramic.brussels

In the heart of the Baltics, a remarkable event unfolds every two years, bringing together the vibrancy of contemporary ceramics. The Latvia Ceramics Biennale, a prestigious platform celebrating the legacy of ceramicist Pēteris Martinsons, is more than just a ceramics competition. Last year, I had the honor of experiencing firsthand the complexity and scope of the 4th edition of the Biennale, as a member of the jury. Read on and explore the stories of the 4th Latvia Ceramics Biennale in Ceramics Now.

The Clay Studio (Philadelphia) invites US-based artists to apply to their Small Favors show by February 1, 2024. Conceived in 2006, Small Favors grew out of The Clay Studio’s efforts to offer accessible, high-quality artworks that appeal to art enthusiasts of all ages. Restricted to the confines of a four-inch cube, the artworks created for this exhibition are small in scale yet huge in impact.

Canadian artists are invited to submit their applications for the Winifred Shantz Award for Ceramics until January 21, 2024. The winner of the award will receive $10,000. One runner-up will receive a prize of $5,000. Up to 3 finalists will also be selected, and each will receive a prize of $1,000. The winner, runner-up, and finalists will feature their work in a Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery group exhibition.

There are a few days left to apply for the International Ceramics Fair Oldenburg (Germany), Argillà Italia (Faenza, Italy), and the European Ceramics Festival Terralha (Saint-Quentin-la-Poterie, France). You can find these events listed in the 2024 ceramics calendar.

Applications are also open for the C14 Paris 2024 show, which will be held during the first weekend of October in Paris. Participation fee: €350. Applications are due February 19, 2024.

The Ceramic Studio (UK) has recently unveiled its upcoming Guest Potter Workshops, set to take place in the Spring/Summer of 2024. The lineup includes 14 renowned potters, each bringing their own unique flair and expertise to the table. These workshops are a fantastic opportunity to expand your knowledge, refine your techniques, and gain invaluable insights from some of the most distinguished ceramicists.

The Civitella Ranieri Foundation launched “Umbrian Ceramics: From Etruria through Novecento and Today.” A part of Civitella Ranieri’s Sojourns in Umbria program, the ten-day tour, led by ceramicist Robert Raphael, will lead participants on excursions to important sites in Umbria, Tuscany, and Emilia Romagna. The group will travel to museums, archeological sites, and contemporary workshops and enjoy homemade meals, fascinating lectures, and the beautiful regional landscape at the Castle in Umbertide.

Discover the mesmerizing world of Axel Salto and Edmund de Waal in Sanne Flyvbjerg’s article, ‘In Conversation with Clay‘. This feature captures the essence of Salto’s nature-inspired sculptures and de Waal’s porcelain pieces. Find out how they transform clay into expressions of growth, metamorphosis, and artistic dialogue.

Nikhil Purohit’s article, ‘Rubbing the Clay with Soot and Past,’ offers a captivating glimpse into the ceramic work of Neha Gawand Pullarwar, where Mumbai’s socio-political landscape merges with Stoke-on-Trent’s industrial heritage. Through insightful historical interpretations, Neha’s work reflects on the intertwined evolution of industry and society, celebrating artistic innovation and the enduring spirit of the working class.

The Noble and Greenough School (Dedham, MA) is seeking candidates for a Part-time Ceramics Instructor (leave replacement 2024-2025 school year)

What’s On View: Mentors – Ceramists and teachers in Belgium is on view at Keramis, La Louvière / Ruth Duckworth: Life as a Unity is on view at the Smart Museum of Art, Chicago / Terra Goolsby: The Shape of Dusk is on view at Ivester Contemporary, Austin / Hanna Miadzvedzeva: Landscapes is on view at Rothko Museum, Daugavpils / Nicholas Lees and Greg Payce: Liminal and Lenticular is on view at Messums West, Tisbury / Katie Spragg: Natural Practice is on view at Make Hauser & Wirth, Somerset / Claudia von Boch is on view at Galerie le Bunker, Sainte-Croix / Jacob van der Beugel: Wherever the two shall meet is on view at NewArtCentre, Salisbury

Exhibitions

Discover these ceramic exhibitions that were recently featured in Ceramics Now.

• The 16th International Biennial of Artistic Ceramics of Aveiro
• Northern Latitude 60.20890 at Iittala & Arabia Design Centre, Helsinki
• Cynthia Lahti: Little Storms at James Fuentes, New York
• Francesca DiMattio: Wedgwood at Pippy Houldsworth Gallery, London
• Tony Marsh: Fever Dream Duets at albertz benda, Los Angeles

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Featured image: Hanna Miadzvedzeva: Landscapes at Rothko Museum, Daugavpils

Posted on January 1, 2024

Founded by George Washington Copp Noble in 1866, Noble and Greenough School is a non-sectarian, rigorous academic community dedicated to motivating and inspiring students to achieve their highest potential and to lead lives characterized by service to others. Nobles is committed to creating a learning environment that represents diversity of race, gender identities, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, national origin, background, experience, and perspective. Doing so is intrinsic to our mission and improves the educational experience for all.

The visual arts department at Noble and Greenough School is looking for a one-year sabbatical replacement for a ceramics instructor to begin in late August 2024. Qualified candidates must be excited to work with high school students, teaching two sections of a year-long level II class covering hand-building, wheel throwing, and glazing. Applicants should be experienced with studio upkeep, maintenance, and the firing of gas, electrical, and raku kilns. A successful candidate will be part of a vibrant visual art department of working artists and will share the ceramics studio with another full-time ceramics instructor. Collaboration and a willingness to join this community are central to success in this position. A degree and prior teaching experience is preferred.

We seek candidates who would bring a desire for ongoing professional improvement, a diversity of backgrounds and experiences, and a demonstrated commitment to young people. People of color, people with disabilities, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, religious minorities, and members of other historically underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply. Learn more about Nobles’ commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion here.

To apply, please complete the online application and upload a resume with a cover letter addressed to: John Hirsch, Fine Arts Department Head.

We invite you to join the group at Civitella Ranieri in Umbertide, Italy from April 2nd – 11th, 2024 for this unique dive into the world of Italian ceramics. Prices and full details are available on Civitella’s website: https://civitella.org/umbrian-ceramics/

Drawing from his own artistic practice and research, Raphael has crafted a fascinating and comprehensive journey through the world of ceramics in and around Umbria. Participants will travel to art spaces, modern-day studios, and even ancient Etruscan sites. In Orvieto, they will witness the Etruscan ceramic tradition of Bucchero. Civitella Ranieri’s own town of Umbertide is home to Rometti, a ceramic factory started in 1927 known for their Ventennio-era production, creating new Umbrian ceramics. In nearby Deruta and Gubbio, participants will observe the incredible local techniques of maiolica. Also on the itinerary are visits to contemporary factories and active workshops, from the innovative glazes of local tile producer, Cotto Etrusco, to the lusterware of Rubboli, to an active clay pit in Sansepolcro.

This tour will provide an inside look at the diverse traditions of Italian ceramics of the region, through both history and direct engagement with local artisans. No prior experience with ceramics is necessary.

Lodged in a beautiful 15th-century Castle in Umbria, Italy, Civitella Ranieri is an international residency program which has brought together over 1,000 visual artists, writers, and composers in the last thirty years. A Civitella residency gives artists space and time to work independently and communally without judgment or interruption. A stay at Civitella fosters curiosity and connections.

Rob Raphael (b. 1978, Hackensack, NJ) is an artist living and working in Brooklyn, NY. He received his MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, MI (2004) and BFA, Rhode Island School Of Design, Providence, RI (2000). Raphael has held solo and two-person exhibitions at SITUATIONS, NY; The Bronx Museum of the Arts, Bronx, NY; LMAK, New York, NY; Calico, Brooklyn, NY; Greenwich House, New York, NY (with Jessica Stoller); and Harrison Gallery, Philadelphia, PA. Notable residencies include Dieu Donne Workspace Residency, Brooklyn NY; Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, Houston, TX; Civitella Ranieri Ceramics Fellowship, Civitella Ranieri, Umbertide, Italy; Zentrum For Keramik, Berlin, Germany; The Shigaraki Ceramic Sculpture Park, Koka City Shiga Pref., Japan and Watershed Center for the Ceramic Art, Newcastle, ME.

For more information and to reserve your space, click here.

Should you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to write to juliette@civitella.org. We hope to see you in Umbria!

The International Competition at Aveiro Museum

The 16th International Biennale of Artistic Ceramics, supported by Aveiro City Council and backed by a highly committed (and very female) team, opened its doors on October 28, 2023. With 565 entries received, the event is shaping up to be a great success. It’s a record for this fast-evolving Biennale, marked by an ever-stronger determination to open up to the international scene and to be ever more demanding in terms of quality, and which in return has managed to prove itself attractive with its three prize packages worth €13,000 / €8,000 and €4,000 respectively.

A jury of five people chosen by the Biennale organizers was set up:
• Alda Tomas, Creative Director and Product Designer, Vista Alegre, Portugal.
• Erika Sütő, artist designer, International Ceramic Studio of Kecskemét, Hungary.
• Xavier Morant Vardejo, City of Manises and from the Ceramic Cities Grouping AEuCC and AeCC, Spain.
• Rui Silva, Associate Professor, Department of Ceramic Materials and Techniques, University of Aveiro, Portugal
• Stéphanie Le Follic-Hadida, art historian and Vice President of the International Academy of Ceramics, France.

The jury met twice to select the 84 finalists and then to award the prizes and mentions of Honor. Given its history and geographical location, I fully appreciated the decisive role that Portugal could play in the coming decades. This 16th Biennale has received entries from every continent, from Latin America, of course, but also from Africa and Oceania. This is an invaluable natural attraction that few countries can boast of.

The organizing team from the City of Aveiro’s Museums and Heritage Department brought together a wide range of profiles within the jury. Artists, teachers, association leaders, managers, art historians, and others represented the full spectrum of ceramic art and design activities. Some paid particular attention to style and craftsmanship, while others focused on ideas and inventiveness. It has to be said, however, that quality work always manages, as if by magic, to synthesize all these expectations. I think I can speak for everyone when I say how high the overall standard of this latest edition of the Aveiro Biennale was. It wasn’t easy to choose three winners. After many pointless stratagems and a great deal of passionate, well-argued discussion, we were able to reach a consensus without difficulty so that we could all converge on what we sincerely and objectively believe to be indisputable.

This is how the three splendid 2023 prizes were chosen:
• 1st prize: PAULA BASTIAANSEN (Netherlands), “Balanced in red” (3 elements), 90 x 90 x 23 cm, whose lightness and sense of movement essentially contradict the ceramic idea.
• 2nd prize: HIDEMI TOKUTAKE (Japan), “Grow”, 55 x 53 x 63 cm, whose timeless sculptural approach combines the complexity of its interior volume with the sensitive application of colour.
• 3rd prize: MING-MIAO Ko (Taiwan), “Handle with care“ (installation), porcelain, 350 x 40 cm, which tackles the issue of gender from the angle of sex toys and surgery.

Six mentions of Honor were then awarded to :
• CHISATO YASUI (Japan) for “Profiles 6 and 10”, two volumes of a constructivist nature, but combining structure and pictorial subtlety.
• JIAO MENG (China) for his floor installation “We are all Alice, ” drawing inspiration from oral tradition and ‘para-realism’.
• LISA BARBOSA (Portugal), only 25 years old, for her floor installation “Que nasçam flores”, which bears witness to the fires that hit Portugal hard last summer.
• MARIA ORIZA (Spain), for her refined and innovative porcelain wall sculpture, “Hipatia”.
• RICUS SEBES (Germany), for his highly virtuoso work in enameled crystallisations, “Amphora” and “The other side of light.”
• SHAO LEI (China), for his aerial and sensitive structure, “Slow-moving Shadow”.

However, the overriding feeling after the winners were announced was one of regret at not being able to honour other works, other equally remarkable approaches. On a podium, the step that separates the whole from the nothing often seems frighteningly unfair. And yet, we all left Aveiro with our minds nourished by the many artistic discoveries we had made and impatient to set up new exhibition projects to promote them. The artists presented at Aveiro touch on a wide range of artistic issues in contemporary ceramics: structural issues around volume, surface, glazes, pictoriality, hollowing out… and societal issues around ecology or gender. This 16th Aveiro Ceramics Biennale perfectly reflects the diversity of stylistic approaches and thematic obsessions in contemporary ceramics, which are also, in many ways, those of contemporary art.

Text by the Jury’s President, Stéphanie Le Follic-Hadida, Vice-President of the International Academy of Ceramics (extract from the biennale’s catalog)

Connecting Exhibitions

Cecília de Sousa: The Poetics of Erosion at the Former Captaincy Gallery

Cecília de Sousa stands out as one of the most important names among the artists who dedicated themselves to ceramic production in the second half of the 20th century. Her work is endowed with a poetic expression of line and color, gaining a bigger identity and accentuating the progressively material contrast of her objects. Few artists worked ceramics to the extent that Cecília de Sousa did. She introduced time, erosion, the memory of creations and archaic civilizations into her creations, building pieces that seem almost archaeological, testimonies of forgotten ages and ignored cultures. Such is the work of Cecília de Sousa, a ceramist who, starting from the logic and aesthetics of her time, discovered, in her journey, the path of timelessness and who now makes herself known in the Gallery of the Old Captaincy of Aveiro, part of the XVI International Biennial of Ceramics of Aveiro.

Ellen Van Der Woude: Fragile Paradise at the Art Nouveau Museum

“Fragile Paradise” explores the unique beauty of nature, the rich variety of textures and forms, its rhythm and composition, and its vulnerability. It also refers to the world’s fragile relationship with nature and our interdependence and dependence on biodiversity. It’s a frightening prospect that humanity may potentially destroy all of nature’s wonders. The artworks are a reflection of the artist’s close observation and connection to the natural world, its resilience, and fragility while also acknowledging lost links between humanity and nature. Connecting with nature is vital for people’s psychological and physical well-being and is key to fostering greater understanding and respect for the natural world. May you be inspired by visiting this exhibition to slow down, reconnect with nature, and contribute to its conservation.

Juana Fernández: Paisajes Entertejidos at the Former Train Station

“The work process is intuitive; I develop series where I experiment with materials and shapes with different approaches that generate diversity of work. I start with a simple element in which the repetition of the gesture and the fingerprint of the fingers are visible and remain as a record of the process. From these elements, grouping them, I build the pieces. The slow and paused time it requires is also incorporated, is contained in its conformation, and becomes clear in its structure.

I explore the properties of clay, stoneware or porcelain. Ephemeral architectures, small habitats, shelters, nests, and shells are pieces built with thin blades of a mixture of porcelain and paper that present a fragile and delicate aspect. “Paisajes de Humo” is a work in which I experiment with the firing process, in which fire and chance decide the traces of smoke that are printed on the surfaces. Oxides and pigments add color, an element present in much of my work due to its power and ability to provoke and communicate sensations.”

Baltic Current at the City Museum

Exhibition curators: Valentins Petjko [LV], Aivars Baranovskis [LV], Agné Šemberaite [LT], Pille Kaleviste [EE]

Galvanized by the Latvia Ceramics Biennale, the creative current from the Baltic States has reached our partners in Portugal as an exhibition exchange project between the Latvia Ceramics Biennale and the International Biennial of Artistic Ceramics of Aveiro. As a significant event in the Latvia Ceramics Biennale programme, running this year with the title “Troubled Waters”, “The Baltic Current” features professional artists from the three Baltic States selected by a team of curators aiming to present the current situation in Latvian, Lithuanian and Estonian ceramic art.

The leading actors in the Baltic Ceramics field (the Latvian Centre for Contemporary Ceramics, the Estonian Ceramics Association and the Lithuanian Artists’ Association) actively promote contemporary ceramics in the region and have had intense previous cooperation in joint exhibitions and other projects. Each country’s shortlist includes several generations, featuring respected veterans who have pioneered new trends and developments and made a lasting impact on the discipline alongside up-and-coming artists just emerging on the scene. Most of the exhibition participants, however, represent the middle generation who completed their ceramic studies after the break-free from the Soviet regime. The artists promise the viewer a rich and engaging exhibition experience, with a tantalizing glimpse into the Baltic mentality and ceramic art currents of the day.

Excerpt from the biennale’s catalog. The Baltic Current exhibition is on view until December 31, 2023

Laure Delamotte-Legrand: Stone Sea at the City Museum

“All starts with the encounter with a site, a valley in Normandy, with its cliffs and rocks sculpted by the sea and a beach at their feet. Wonder for what nature is able to create and which is disappearing. So why not keep the memory of it with the molding of this beach as a «vanishing point» and keep its imprint? The beach changes with each tide, and the material moves and shifts, a utopian undertaking to confront this invisible migration of the elements, these unstable landscapes, fascinating as well as disturbing.

To this history of the mineral matter migration was coupled the one of humans and the one of ceramics history – the influences between civilizations and the crossing of cultures. This project, which has been developing for ten years, pushes me to travel. I first went north along the coast for a residency at the famous Royal Delft factory in the Netherlands. The coastline to the south took me to the imposing Vista Alegre factory near Aveiro in Portugal.

Whatever the country or the place, my approach remains the same with the starting postulate of the curiosity of the encounter. The encounter with people and with places, with their history, their cultures, their gestures.”

IAC Portuguese Artists – Collective exhibition at Morgados Da Pedricosa Gallery

Many Portuguese artists/ceramists members and a unique exhibition that presents the individual selection of each author, highlighting their creative identity and their signature in a challenging and demanding space in its double dimension: International Biennale of Artistic Ceramics of Aveiro and Morgados da Pedricosa Gallery.

Participating artists: Ana+Betânia, Carlos Enxuto, Heitor Figueiredo, João Carqueijeiro, Sofia Beça, Xana Monteiro, Yola Vale

Binomial University of Lisbon Faculty of Fine Arts Collective Exhibition at the Misericórdia Cloister

The center of the Cloister of Santa Casa da Misericórdia is open, in an immediate connection with the cosmos, as well as with interior introspection and reflection. Around these ideas arises the Binomial, which focuses on the ideas of interiority, exteriority, verticality or horizontality, as accesses to this complex understanding. The works reflect these concepts, express these dimensions from the formal point of view, establishing inevitable dialogues with the architectural space.

Participating artists: Ana Franco Neto, Andreia Gomes Pereirinha, Anja Hallek, Bárbara Fernandes, Bárbara Jasmins, Beatriz De Almeida Pisa, Catarina Farinha, Daphne Klagkou, David Arraia, Francisca Martins e Pablo Díaz, Inês Duarte Justo, Inês Teles, Irene de Vilder, Isabel Bentes dos Santos, Jéssica Pinto, Mafalda André, Maria Henrique, Marta Galvão Lucas, Noah Thor Alhalel, Paco Moreno, Paola Quiñonez, Pedro Dionísio, Vera de Serpa Soares

Curva Atelier: Poetry of the Form. The Journey of the Word at Atlas Aveiro

The International Biennale of Artistic Ceramics of Aveiro has been taking place since 1989. For the school community to actively participate in the Biennale, the project “Biennale goes to School. The Poetry of Form” unites the written word to the ceramics by the hand of the artists residing in Curva Atelier, letting the words also be shaped and expressed by the plasticity of the clay. Schools worked on the theme “The Journey of the Word”. The Word is a sound, and it is also a story, and it contains a whole world. When it first gains body, its support is ceramic. And everything changes… With a body of clay, the Word travels farther and transcends generations. Pottery began the path of the Word and all we want to say and communicate to the future. What about us? What do we want to say to the Future? Let’s use the Word. And let’s get the message through the hands of the pottery. The clay again transformed into a vehicle of Art, a thruster of ideas through generations.

Contact
bienalceramica@cm-aveiro.pt

Photos by Miguel Cordovil

The Ceramic Studio is based on a beautiful orchard in Brenchley, Kent. The Studios are light and airy with spacious, open-plan layouts. Our pottery classes are run by experienced, dedicated tutors and class sizes are small to ensure everyone’s needs are met. We warmly welcome everyone, from complete beginners to experienced potters.

With each Guest Potter Workshop, you will be treated to state of the art materials and tools, along with indulgent refreshments and a delicious two-course lunch every day. The Ceramic Studio will welcome you on the first day with a sumptuous breakfast.

They require a 20% deposit to secure your place in one of these workshops. Prices and full details are available on the studio’s website.

If you’re joining from afar, fear not! Their team is happy to assist with recommendations for local accommodation and travel arrangements to and from our studio. So why wait? Embark on an unforgettable journey of creativity, learning, and inspiration with The Ceramic Studio’s Guest Potter Workshops.

2024 Program

Craig Underhill: Slab Building & Surface Mark Making

May 7-10, 2024

Craig Underhill returns to the studio to deliver his popular and unique workshop in May 2024. This course will focus on techniques for making clay slabs, constructing 3D forms from slabs and then incorporating mark making and surface texture to enhance the forms.

Craig will be demonstrating some of the ways in which he works to design, conceive and create his pieces and will show students a variety of different techniques to achieve a range of results. Craig will share the slab building techniques that he uses as well as a range of surface marking techniques that can be used to produce painterly surfaces. This includes using engobe, slip, impressing, grog and sand, monoprint and stenciling.

Students will be shown how to cut, reassemble and rejoin in order to produce unique finished pieces using a variety of colours and marks. There will be opportunities for students to discuss their work on a one-to-one basis as well as part of the wider group.

A firing of the test pieces made on day one is planned and we will encourage students to keep, and finish, a few carefully selected final pieces. These will be fired and be ready for collection a few weeks later.

Each student will have their own dedicated workspace and will receive plenty of individual attention. Please note, there will be a small additional firing charge for final pieces.

Craig was born in Glasgow, he graduated with a Higher National Diploma in Ceramics at Harrow College, then achieved a BA(Hons) Fine Art specialising in ceramics at Portsmouth Polytechnic. He has taught extensively and became a selected member of the Craft Potters Association in 2005. Craig’s work is influenced by his surroundings, places and landscapes. He now lives and works in West Cornwall.

Jane Sheppard: From the Ground Up – Coiling with Clay

May 13-15, 2024

Jane Sheppard joins us for a three-day coiling workshop in May 2024. Jane’s aim is to give students confidence to progress independently and introduce them to the very human, uplifting joys of coiling.

This three-day course is devised as an access to those in the earlier stage of their hand building journey. Jane will share her experience as practitioner, lecturer, teacher and Interfaith Minister to guide students through what clay is, how to prepare it, look after it, work with it and refine it. Over three steady-but-full days students will become familiar with clay properties and coiling skills. Learning through demos and practice, students will meet common difficulties and learn how to avoid them.

Students will gain a thorough, gentle and inclusive grounding that will enable them to progress independently. Students will discover what they need, what they don’t, and have a bank of tips embedded by practice.

On day one students will ‘Get Started’. Students will learn clay preparation techniques, receive an introduction to clay types and an introduction to pinching and coil-making.
On day two students will ‘Become Familiar’. Students will work with moulds, join clay, work in clay-time, control form.

On the final day students will ‘Gain Confidence and Execute Decisions’. Students will learn how to attach handles, refine their skills, burnish and incise. Please note, there will be a small additional firing charge for final pieces.

Jane has worked with ceramics since training as a teacher in art and design in the late 1980s, quickly discovering her passion for handcoiling and natural low-fired decoration. She developed her own resist techniques, exhibiting nationally including Selfridges London, St Ives gallery and Gallery 27 in Cork Street London, represented by Kate Chertavian Fine Art who was then David Bowie’s art agent.

Jane developed her ceramics career as lecturer in Art and Design at Bath College for 15 years, teaching all ability levels. Jane began training as an Interfaith Minister in 2016, ordained in 2018. After a year teaching in the OSIF faculty she returned to hand building; the core passion of her life and heart of her ministry. Jane’s work now centres on the metaphorical language of clay and the value of making.

Elaine Sheppards Bolt: Porcelain Assemblages (Hand building with porcelain and found objects)

May 17-24, 2024

This two-day course will focus on techniques for hand-building delicate nature-inspired porcelain pieces and look at ways of combining them with found objects to create unique vessels, sculptural forms or assemblages.

This is a two-day course across two weeks. This is to allow for a firing in between sessions.
On the first day Elaine will demonstrate some of the ways in which she works and show a variety of techniques that students can use to work with both porcelain and mixed media.

Students will explore techniques for using nature as inspiration for pieces with porcelain, including; modelling flowers, berries and leaves; pinching small pots; colouring with oxides; using paper clay and using nichrome wire. Students will also investigate how their collection of found objects from nature (such as twigs, feathers, seed pods, or beach finds) can be used and combined with the porcelain pieces they make.

Day one will focus on working with porcelain. These pieces will then be fired ready for the second part of the workshop the following week.

Day two will include looking at your collection of found objects and your fired porcelain pieces and investigating ways of combining them to create a unique assemblage as a wall piece, vessel or sculpture.

Elaine will bring a selection of found materials which the class are welcome to make use of. Students are also encouraged to bring their own found and natural materials for using in the class – examples include driftwood or twigs, interesting leaves and seeds, beach finds, thread, etc. Please note, there will be a small additional firing charge for final pieces.

Elaine Sheppard Bolt is a ceramic artist working with clay and mixed media, creating pieces and compositions guided by a sense of narrative and steeped in the context of her local surroundings. Her work includes mixed media wall pieces as well as hand-built and thrown porcelain vessels.
Elaine Sheppard Bolt has an MA in Ceramics from UCA Farnham and has several years teaching experience. She works from her studio in Brighton and exhibits her work widely in galleries and specialist craft events across the UK.

Justine Allison: Hand Building with Porcelain

May 20-21, 2024

We are very excited to have Justine Allison return to the studio in May 2024 to deliver her popular ‘Hand Building with Porcelain’ course. Students will learn how to build fine porcelain pieces using Justine’s delicate techniques.

This course will focus on techniques for making clay slabs, then joining these slabs to become vessels. Justine will show students some of the ways in which she works and will demonstrate a variety of different techniques students can use to achieve a range of results.

Students will explore methods to add pattern and texture to their work and Justine will explain the role of underglazes and simple clear glazing in her work.

There will be no specific kiln firing during the week, however, we will encourage students to keep, and finish, a few carefully selected pieces. These will be fired and be ready for collection a few weeks later (there will be a small additional firing charge).

Each student will have their own dedicated workspace and will receive plenty of individual attention. There will be opportunities for students to discuss their work with their fellow students and on a one-to-one basis with Justine. Please note, there will be a small additional firing charge for final pieces.

Justine has primarily hand-built with porcelain since leaving Camberwell School of Art in 1998. Her work explores the simplicity and beauty of clay as well as incorporating pattern, texture and glaze to create unique variations. Justine grew up in London and re-located to rural Wales in 2003 where she now lives and works.

Andrew Tremain: Advanced Throwing and Form

May 22-23, 2024

This is an intensive two-day advanced throwing course, focusing on shape and form. This course is aimed at those who are already able to throw on a pottery wheel to a good level and wish to improve their technique and further their ability to shape and form the clay.

Andrew Tremain joins us from Australia to deliver this advanced throwing workshop. Within this workshop Andrew will guide students in throwing large vessels, concentrating on form with emphasis on the shoulder and neck of the pieces.

Andrew will focus on proportions and placement of the shoulder, belly, base and neck of each piece.
Students will then learn how to trim long, thin and fluted necks, changing the angle around the shoulders.

Andrew will give multiple demonstrations throughout the workshop and students will receive plenty of individual attention.

Please note, this is not a crystalline glazing workshop. Students will be able to glaze their pieces at a later date using the glazes available at The Ceramic Studio, but the crystalline glazes used on Andrew’s own pieces will not be available. Please also note, there will be a small additional firing charge for final pieces.

Andrew Tremain is a ceramic artist who was born in England, emigrating to Australia in 2005. Andrew now lives in Western Australia where he makes crystalline glazed ceramics from fine white porcelain clay. The inspiration for his forms comes when he is throwing the clay on the wheel, focusing on creating curved forms that enhance the crystals that form in his glazes. His crystalline glazes have a high glass-like shine that captures the light and makes the crystal formations pop out from the surface that result in subtle depths of surface. Andrew’s pieces create a horizon of heights, shapes and colour variations that are a pleasure to live with.

Robert Goldsmith: Production Pottery

May 27-31, 2024

Robert Goldsmith from Selbourne Pottery joins us for this five-day intensive workshop in May 2024. This workshop will focus on production pottery and throwing repeat forms to a consistent standard.

Within this intensive five-day workshop students will learn to throw a variety of vessels repeatedly to achieve a consistent form. Robert will give demonstrations throughout the workshop as well as guiding and assisting students individually.

Robert will teach students to spiral wedge their clay as well as giving an understanding of weights and measurements of clay in relation to vessel size. Students will practise repeat throwing vessels to specific measurements maintaining quality and consistency. Robert will also advise students on preparing an efficient workspace to achieve effective production pottery.

Throughout the five-days students will learn to efficiently throw bowls in a range of sizes, mugs, vases, salt pots, lidded pots, teapots, serving dishes, large jugs and lamp bases. Robert will also teach students to make and attach handles to the mugs, jugs and teapots.

By the end of the course, students will have learnt techniques to improve the efficiency and consistency of their throwing, and will be able to accurately produce a number of the same size and weight vessels. Please note, there will be a small additional firing charge for final pieces.

Robert graduated from West Surrey College of Art & Design in Farnham in 1984. He established Selbourne Pottery over 35 years ago in the beautiful and historic Hampshire village. Each piece of his stoneware collection is hand thrown and decorated. Rich blues and deep red glazes decorate the pots. The lustre range adds a luxurious opulence not normally found on studio pottery.

Jo Davies: Throwing, Building and Kiln-Firing Techniques

June 3-7, 2024

Jo Davies will teach a combination of wheel-throwing and kiln-firing techniques across this five-day course. Jo Davies specialises in wheel-throwing, often using techniques that use wheel-thrown components to build vessels to make them either large, asymmetrical or unusual in some way. She has also recently written the book, ‘Electric Kilns for Ceramics’, published by Crowood Press, which specialises in guiding makers through kilns and kiln-firings.

Through demonstrations, conversations and one to one help Jo will guide students through building with wheel-thrown components to create their own work, either enabling them to build larger objects that go beyond the maximum quantity an individual can throw in one, or to build more creatively at either a large or small scale. Outcomes can either be functional or sculptural but will all be made using the wheel and using stoneware clay.

The throwing element of this course will also be interspersed with teaching that focuses on kilns, guiding you through kiln-packing for bisque, glaze firings and many of the fundamentals of this side of the ceramic process. The aim of this element of the course is to enable your independence in a studio-setting, giving you the skills and knowledge to be confident in running your firings, which could be at your own studio or in a communal setting. Individual questions and concerns about your kilns, or future kilns, can be raised with Jo informally throughout the course.
Please note, there will be a small additional firing charge for final pieces. Please see our Student Contract (below) for details.

Jo Davies is a Royal College of Art MA graduate and her practice includes hand-making fine porcelain design ranges, lighting and unique objects. Her individual approach to wheel-thrown ceramics, where high-fired porcelain often appears paradoxically to be fresh off the wheel, balances softness with rigidity, smoothness with weight and tactility.

Jo exhibits internationally and has worked with, amongst others, the National Portrait Gallery, Yorkshire Sculpture Park, the Hepworth Wakefield, Somerset House, Heals and the National Trust. Her work is held at the Contemporary Ceramics Centre in Bloomsbury, alongside other stockists, and the Cheongju International Craft Competition holds her work in their permanent collection. Her practice has been supported by the Crafts Council and Arts Council England. She splits her time between her workshop in East London and her home studio in Hereford.

Adam Frew: Throwing with Porcelain

June 10-14, 2024

We are extremely lucky to have Adam Frew return to The Ceramic Studio in June 2024 to deliver his ‘Throwing with Porcelain’ course. This course will focus on throwing a variety of porcelain pieces in various shapes and sizes, then learning to glaze in Adam’s signature style using sharp lines, crayon scribbles, brush marks and sponged back sections.

This workshop will focus on using the wheel to create a variety of thrown porcelain vessels. There will be regular demonstrations throughout the week and Adam will give all students one-to-one guidance.

Students will gain confidence in using porcelain and improve their throwing technique, learning to create ambitious pieces. There will be flexibility in the teaching allowing students to request specific demonstrations or help with a particular project or technique.

Adam will demonstrate his various decoration techniques, showing students how to create energy in their mark making, and students will be encouraged to be experimental in their approach.

This is an intensive making and refining course and there will be no specific kiln firing during the week, however, we will encourage students to keep, and finish, a few carefully selected pieces. Each student will have their own wheel and will receive plenty of individual attention. Please note, there will be a small additional firing charge for final pieces.

Adam is a potter based in Northern Ireland who works in porcelain, creating thrown functional and large one-off pots. During his studies at Belfast Art College, Adam spent time at the historic Winchcombe Pottery and in Finland with Judy Makela. Upon graduating in 2004, he undertook a two year apprenticeship with Lisa Hammond where he gained the confidence to set up on his own. He lives in Aghadowey in Co. Derry with his family and works and teaches there from his own purpose-built studio.

Ali Tomlin: Decorating and Mark Making in Porcelain

June 17-19, 2024

We are very lucky to have Ali Tomlin with us for this three-day workshop in June 2024. This workshop will focus on decorating and mark making on thrown porcelain vessels.

This three-day workshop will focus on throwing pieces such as stem vases and bowls, with porcelain. The pieces will then be trimmed and then decorated using Ali’s beautiful mark-making techniques.
Ali would like to encourage students to bring inspiration with them to the class: sketchbooks, scrapbooks, anything at all. Ali will be encouraging students to play with how to apply marks and colour to the raw, dry clay.

This course is suitable for those with some porcelain throwing experience and an interest in surface decoration. Please note, there will be a small additional firing charge for final pieces.

Ali Tomlin creates wheel-thrown porcelain. She uses porcelain for its smooth, white surface and quality which creates a canvas for making clean, elegant shapes. Using careful decoration and adding colours and marks she creates her well-known range of contemporary ceramics. Working with the dry, chalky surface, Ali applies a bold, but muted palette of stains, oxides and slips, splashing and sponging away areas, adding inlaid and sgraffito lines, aiming to create imperfect and unpredictable marks. Some decorating is carried out on the wheel and some through mono-printing, brushwork or splashing to convey a feeling of movement and spontaneity. Ali has always been passionate about drawing and design, enjoying the energy of random lines or marks whether in a sketch, a painting or while beachcombing. Ali says that she loves working with colour, line and marks, and luckily there’s a never ending supply of them!

Alice Mara: Make your own ceramic home – Using slab building and decal techniques

June 20-21 and July 11-12, 2024

We are extremely excited to have Alice Mara join us in June and July 2024 to deliver this dynamic and unusual ceramics course. The main objective of the course is for students to build a wonderful and realistic version of their own house using slab building techniques and photographic transfers. Students will also have the opportunity to make a number of other buildings within this exciting course.

This workshop will be split into two parts. The first two days will be spent hand building the structure of each student’s house or building and the second part will take place two weeks later once the pieces have been bisque fired and glazed. When students return for the second part of the workshop they will learn to use photographic transfers to bring their structures to life.

The first part of the workshop will be spent creating the structure of houses/buildings. Students will be asked to bring in pictures of their chosen house or building and, using these, Alice will assist students in working out how to create the main body of their building.

Alice will demonstrate how to roll the perfect slabs to achieve the right clay consistency, and how to attach slabs to each other to make sturdy, robust models. Throughout the workshop Alice will give demonstrations on how to create features such as chimneys, bay windows, balconies, and any other, unique feature of each building.

As well as building their own house, students will also have the opportunity to create some additional buildings using paper template. Alice will show students how to use slabs of clay to create different architectural styles.

There will be a two week gap until the second part of the workshop, to give time for the pieces to be bisque fired and glazed in white. During this time Alice will also create transfers for the bespoke houses ready for the students when they return for part two.

The second part of the workshop will involve learning how to apply the photographic transfers to the glazed structures. Demonstrations will be given on how to cut and line up the imagery and ensure a smooth application.

The final day will see students perfecting their models with Alice’s guidance. Students will be able to colour match their imagery to fill gaps and Alice will give her tips of the trade on how to fix any imperfections using secret techniques that she has developed over the years. Please note, there will be a small additional firing charge for final pieces.

Alice Mara is a ceramic artist with over twenty years’ experience and is widely acclaimed for her skilled craftsmanship and innovative designs. She is confident and ambitious in her work and has won industry awards including the Ella Doran Award for Best New Designer, the Queensbury Hunt Award for innovative use of ceramics, and the Royal Academy of Scottish Art Award for Best Female Sculptor.

Tanya Gomez: Throwing Bigger

June 24-28, 2024

This course will focus of throwing large in stoneware. The aim of this course is to give students the confidence and skills to throw larger pieces of work and throughout the five-day workshop you will learn several techniques on how to do this.

Tanya Gomez joins us for a five-day workshop in June 2024. Tanya is a celebrated ceramicist renown for her porcelain vessels in her signature lustrous colours.

Tanya will give demonstrations throughout the course. Time will be spent throwing several pieces from 2kg – 3kg of clay to construct tall structures. Students will experience the methods of throwing, slapping the clay out and then throwing the clay walls up, as well as making slips and assembling the thrown pieces together. This will then be expanded with 4kg – 5kg of clay which will be hammered out and thrown.

Students will learn about the consistency of clay and when to assemble. There will be several different techniques of making larger pieces, from coiling, slabbing and additional pieces.
There will be demonstrations on various surface textures with colour slip and decorations. These skills can be practiced on pieces that have been made. Students will also learn about how to glaze a large vessel by pouring and the discussion of spraying work. This will include how to check thickness and consistency of the glaze.

Each student will have their own wheel and will receive plenty of individual attention. Please note, there will be a small additional firing charge for final pieces.

With an MA in Ceramics from the Royal College of Art, Tanya’s process is practice-led. Developed from traditional methods and disciplines Tanya has honed her skills over the last 15 years and uses dynamic throwing, cutting and assembling techniques to create large cylindrical shapes. Impactful both individually and as a group, her vessels create expressive, vivid landscapes and fluid, architectural forms.

Katharina Klug: Throwing & Altering Porcelain Forms

July 1-5, 2024

We are very lucky to have Katharina Klug return to the Ceramic Studio in July 2024 to deliver her popular ‘Throwing and Altering Porcelain Forms’ workshop. This five-day workshop will explore throwing a variety of porcelain pieces in various shapes and sizes, then altering these thrown forms.

Throughout this workshop students will be using the pottery wheel to create a variety of thrown porcelain forms, as well as exploring how to make shape alterations to these vessels.

Students will gain confidence in using porcelain and will improve their throwing technique, learning to create unusual shapes and ambitious pieces. There will be regular demonstrations to show students a variety of different techniques for altering forms and Katharina will tutor students on a group and an individual basis to inspire, encourage and build confidence.

This is an intensive making and refining course and there will be no specific kiln firing during the week, however, we will prompt students to keep, and finish, a few carefully selected pieces. These will be fired and be ready for collection a few weeks later.

Each student will have their own wheel and will receive plenty of individual attention. Please note, there will be a small additional firing charge for final pieces.

Katharina is now based in Cambridge, but she was raised in an Austrian pottery and has had a fascination for clay since she was a child. Shape, pattern and colour are all integral to her practice; her beautiful porcelain vessels feature patterns inspired by observations from her environment and glossy versus matt are central themes throughout her work.

Emily Myers: Throwing, Faceting & Carving

July 15-19, 2024

We are very lucky to have Emily Myers return to The Ceramic Studio in July 2024 to deliver her ‘Throwing, Faceting and Carving’ workshop. This course will focus on throwing a variety of vessels in various shapes and sizes, and then learning how to carve and facet the forms with precision and elegance.

On days one and two of the workshop a variety of bottles and vases will be thrown by all students. Emily will give demonstrations and provide one-to-one guidance to students to improve their throwing technique.

The vessels thrown on the first two days and will be ready to be carved and faceted on the subsequent days. This is a chance to change the circular thrown pieces into new interesting forms, and to explore new sculptural and decorative possibilities. Emily will show students how to use a range of tools to achieve different carving styles and students will be guided to improve their confidence and carving technique.

This is an intensive making and refining course and there will be no specific kiln firing during the week, however we will encourage you to keep, and finish, a few carefully selected pieces. Each student will have their own wheel and will receive plenty of individual attention. Please note, there will be a small additional firing charge for final pieces.

Emily Myers is a Crafts Council selected maker and member of the Craft Potters Association. She has demonstrated regularly at Art in Action and other craft fairs. She has had solo shows at Beaux Arts in Bath and Contemporary Ceramics in London. Her work has also been shown in Tel Aviv, Hamburg, Paris and New York.

Emily is often asked how she achieves such even lines, and the answer is: a steady hand and a good eye. She marks out the lines in segments before carving the pot. This time-consuming process has an almost meditative feel to it.

The potter’s wheel is central to Emily’s studio practice. However, she is not limited to the circular nature of the thrown pot. She has extended her repertoire of forms by faceting, carving and altering the pots at the leather hard stage. Most of her pieces are then glazed in barium glazes.
Emily’s vessels take various forms, but all are very carefully controlled and although they feel organic, they often include elements that are geometric or even mechanical in nature. Some forms are painstakingly carved with a looped wire modelling tool to form parallel grooves. The accuracy of the carving is achieved purely by eye, a steady hand, and a great attention to detail.

Richard Phethean: Earthenware Throwing and Slip Decoration

July 22-26, 2024

We are very excited to have Richard Phethean come to the studio in July 2024 to deliver his ‘Earthenware Throwing and Slipware Decoration’ workshop. This will be a thorough and colourful six day introduction to terracotta pottery making combining throwing, slab-building, extruding and tile making with surface decoration using coloured clay slips.

This course will provide a disciplined and creative environment where students will learn solid, practical skills and improve the quality and aesthetic integrity of their finished thrown work. Students will also receive a thorough guide to decorating using slipware techniques.

Students will look at the history and contemporary practice of slipware pottery making, learn to mix and test their own colours, experiment with traditional tools and techniques, study contemporary uses of resist, transfer and layering, and develop personal decorative themes.

Novices will receive a comprehensive introduction to the basic principles and techniques of throwing and others a thorough review of their existing skills before progressing on to new challenges. Each student will have their own wheel and will receive plenty of individual attention, but will be encouraged to pursue their own agenda. Please note, there will be a small additional firing charge for final pieces.

Richard makes thrown, altered and assembled vessels with brushed slips and resist techniques. His current work combines references to ancient pottery, European slipware traditions and early twentieth century abstract painting. He is a long-established professional potter who is exhibited widely in the UK and Europe. He is a Fellow of, and recently retired as, Chair of the Craft Potters Association.

Contact
info@theceramicstudio.co.uk

As the deadlines for several ceramic competitions and fairs approach in the next few days and weeks, I would like to extend an invitation to you. These events are excellent platforms to showcase your work in major events and potentially win a significant prize.

Take a moment to explore these opportunities, and make sure you take advantage of the chance to submit your application on time. The events below are also included in the 2024 Ceramics Calendar

• The 42nd Concurs International de Ceràmica de l’Alcora (CICA 2024) will take place in L’Alcora, Spain, between May 18 and September 30, 2024. Applications are due November 30.
• The XVI International Ceramics Biennial of Manises (application link) will take place in Manises, Spain, between June 14 and September 14. Applications are due December 1, 2023.
• The 1st Big Blue Dot Contemporary Ceramics Biennale will take place in Santorini, Greece, between June and October 2024. Applications are due December 3.
• The Ceramics Market Andenne will take place in Andenne, Belgium, between May 19-20, 2023. Participation fee: €150. Applications are due December 3.
• The 5th Officine Saffi Award will be awarded in Milan, Italy, between February and March 2024. Applications are due December 5.
• The 26th International Biennial of Vallauris – Contemporary Creation and Ceramics will take place in Vallauris, France, between July and September 2024. Applications are due December 20.
• The 41st International Ceramics Fair Oldenburg will take place in Oldenburg, Germany, between August 3-4, 2024. Participation fee: €250-300. Applications are due January 8.
• Argillà Italia 2024 will take place in Faenza, Italy, between August 30 and September 1, 2024. Participation fee: €200. Applications are due January 10.
• The European Ceramics Festival Terralha 2024 will take place in Saint-Quentin-la-Poterie, France, between July 12-14, 2024. Participation fee: €180. Open to Europe-based artists. Applications are due January 15.
• The 13th International Ceramics Festival MINO will take place in Tajimi City, Gifu, Japan, between October 18 – November 17, 2024. Applications are due January 31.
• The 15th Westerwald Ceramics Prize will take place at Keramikmuseum Westerwald, Höhr-Grenzhausen, Germany, in the summer of 2024. Applications are due January 31.

The City of Carouge (Geneva, Switzerland) recently opened its applications for the International Ceramics Competition Carouge 2024: Festivities. Three prizes will be awarded: a First Prize in the amount of 10,000 Swiss francs, a Prize sponsored by the Bruckner Foundation for the Promotion of Ceramics in the amount of 2,000 Swiss francs, and a Prize sponsored by swissceramics in the amount of 1,000 Swiss francs. Application deadline: March 1, 2024.

Stephanie Henricks wrote an article about the Siliceous Award for Ceramic Excellence 2023. A premier biennial event of Ceramic Arts Queensland, one of Australia’s oldest arts organizations, the award was not just a showcase of excellence in Australian ceramics. It also highlighted the vast depth and breadth of contemporary ceramic practices. Celebrating its seventh edition this year, the 2023 Award has been the most impressive to date. You can read Stephanie’s article in Ceramics Now.

What’s On View: Francesca DiMattio: Wedgwood is on view at Pippy Houldsworth Gallery, London / ON FIRE: Tony Marsh & Cornelia Schulz is on view at Patricia Sweetow Gallery, Los Angeles / Emily Yong Beck: Soft Power and There Will Be Perils at Every Juncture are on view at The Pit, Los Angeles / Hilda Piazzolla: Differential Growth is on view at Peach Corner Gallery, Copenhagen / Kaori Tatebayashi: Still Life is on view at Tristan Hoare, London / Contemporary Japanese Ceramics as Statement is on view at Onishi Gallery, New York / Keramiekprijs De Kei 2023 is on view at Museum Prinsenhof, Delft / Earth Inspires is on view at Valcke Art Gallery, Gent / Adi Toch: Earth to Earth is on view at Sarah Myerscough Gallery, London

Member updates

Susan Collett is celebrating the 30th anniversary of her full-time studio practice in downtown Toronto.

Mark Goudy received the Jury Prize of the Blanc de Chine International Ceramic Art Award with Wave Forms.

Messums invites artists and potters who make plates to present and sell work in an exhibition supporting reconciliation (part of a fundraising effort). Applications are due January 15.

Exhibitions

Discover these ceramic exhibitions that were recently featured in Ceramics Now.

• Del Harrow: No Ideas but in Things at Haw Contemporary, Kansas City
• Sahar Khoury, Jumana Manna, and Harold Mendez at the Wexner Center for the Arts, Columbus
• Nathalie Campion: Autofiction – Dans la peau de l’écorce at Boondael Chapel Art Center, Brussels
• Elevation: Kaneko and Contemporary Ceramics at Elaine L. Jacob Gallery, Detroit
• Sustainable Ceramics #1: Recycled, Repaired, Reactivated at the Princessehof National Museum of Ceramics, Leeuwarden
• The Crux of The Biscuit: New Ceramic Work by Jonathan Kaplan at Plinth Gallery, Denver
• Steen Ipsen: Organic Reflection at HB381 Gallery, New York

Sign up for Ceramics Now Weekly if you’d like to receive the week’s news in your inbox

Featured image: Hilda Piazzolla: Differential Growth at Peach Corner Gallery, Copenhagen

Applications are open for the International Ceramics Competition Carouge 2024: Festivities

Since 1987, the City of Carouge (Geneva, Switzerland) has organized a biennial ceramics competition. This competition focuses on the creation of works based on a specific theme. Three prizes are awarded: a First Prize in the amount of 10,000 Swiss francs, a Prize sponsored by the Bruckner Foundation for the Promotion of Ceramics in the amount of 2,000 Swiss francs, and a Prize sponsored by swissceramics (Swiss Ceramics Association) in the amount of 1,000 Swiss francs.

To participate in this competition, read the rules and complete the online entry form.

Application deadline: March 1, 2024. The 2024 theme is Festivities.

The works selected will be exhibited in the Musée de Carouge from September 14 to December 1, 2024. They will also appear in an illustrated catalog.

RULES

GENERALITIES

1. Context of the competition
Since 1987, the City of Carouge (Geneva) has been organizing a biennial ceramics competition for the creation of works focusing on an imposed theme.

2. Theme of the competition
Festivities are present in all human societies, at all latitudes, yesterday as today, to celebrate happy or unfortunate events. Characterized by excesses, moments of explosion, and effervescence in contrast to an often monotonous daily routine, they set the pace for our lives.

Festivities – This is the theme chosen by the City of Carouge, a city with a festive reputation, known historically for its inns, cabarets, and openness in a formerly austere context. Whether collective or private, high-society or popular, antique or contemporary, festivities offer a subject for the most diverse reflections and forms, through an analysis both of its accessories and its constituent rites.

3. Organiser
The City of Carouge organizes this competition. All correspondence relating to the competition should be sent by e-mail to the following address: musee@carouge.ch

4. Objective
The International Ceramics Competition is intended to promote and encourage the creation of contemporary ceramics.

5. Exhibition
The City of Carouge will organize an exhibition presenting the works selected during the first round of the competition to the public and publish a catalog bringing them together. This exhibition will also be the opportunity to award the prizes attributed to the jury during the second round of the competition among the selected works. The exhibition forms part of the programme of the Parcours Céramique Carougeois (www.parcoursceramiquecarougeois.ch).

THE CONDITIONS AND SEQUENCE OF THE COMPETITION

6. Requirements relating to the works
6.1 The interpretation of the competition’s theme (see art.2) is free.
Candidates may, for example, present a design, functional object, or a decorative, sculptural and/or conceptual work, or an installation. The shape, decor, and technique are also free, but the work must be carried out predominantly in ceramics.
6.2 The maximum dimension (length, width, height or diameter) is 70 cm x 70 cm x 70 cm for single objects and 100 cm x 100 cm x 100 cm for an ensemble of multiple objects or installations.
6.3 Any work not meeting these requirements will be excluded from the competition.

7. Participation
7.1 The International Ceramics Competition of the City of Carouge is open to all creators who meet the following requirements:
∙ Participants have to be aged 16 or older;
∙ Each participant may only present one dossier comprising a single work, which may consist of several complementary pieces;
∙ Candidates must be able to demonstrate professional artistic practice (diploma, training, experience, etc.);
∙ Participants must have created the work themselves;
∙ In order to guarantee anonymity in the judging for the first selection round, the work must not be signed in any obvious manner or bear any distinctive mark.
7.2 Collaboration between several artists (ceramists and/or designers, for example) is permitted. In this case, the fact must be clearly indicated on the entry form, as must the names of all those who have worked on the piece. Each collaborator must fill out a separate entry form.
7.3 All correspondence in connection with the competition must be in French, English, or German.
7.4 The candidates and/or the works not satisfying the conditions above will be excluded from the competition.

8. Contents of the registration file
8.1 Registration requires completing an online form which contains the following information:
∙ The details of the artist;
∙ A brief biography of a maximum of 4,000 characters, including spaces. It should mention the artist’s career and his/her references, as well as describe his/her artistic statement;
∙ Information on the work proposed (title, techniques, dimensions, etc.);
∙ A brief explanation of a maximum of 800 characters, including spaces. This should allow the artist to develop his/her concept and explain how the work submitted relates to the theme of the competition;
∙ Two good-quality digital photographs in color (300 dpi, jpg format) showing the work from two different angles against a neutral background. The total size of the images enclosed is limited to 16 Mo maximum. The quality of the photographs is important, as the selection of the works in the first round will be exclusively made on the basis of these photographs. Furthermore, these photos may be displayed in the exhibition;
8.2 The online form can be accessed via the City of Carouge website: https://www.carouge.ch/concours-ceramique
The online registration deadline is 1 March 2024 at 23:59 (local time). Candidates may only register via the online form.
8.3 Entries that are incomplete or arrive after the deadline will not be taken into consideration.
8.4 The jury will decide the first round of the competition on the basis of the dossier. Any candidates sending directly only the work itself will be automatically excluded from the competition, and the work will be returned to them at their cost.

9. Jury
The dossiers presented will be judged by a selection jury composed of a representative of the City of Carouge and personalities and experts from the world of ceramics. This jury selects the works to be exhibited (1st round of the competition) and awards the City of Carouge Prize as well as the two other prizes put at its disposal (2nd round of the competition).

10. Selection
10.1 First round
The first round is based exclusively on examining the two photographs and the brief explanation as mentioned in article 8.1.
The assessment criteria are:
∙ Relation with the theme and the work’s pertinence and/or concept.
∙ The formal and/or aesthetic quality,
∙ Originality of the work, creativity,
∙ The technical qualities of the production,
The City of Carouge reminds candidates that both functional and non-functional works are accepted.
At the end of the first round, candidates will be advised of the jury’s decision in writing during May 2024.
Candidates whose work has been selected must send it in by 30th June 2024 at the latest (the postmark will be considered as proof of the date sent). They will be provided with the relevant address by e-mail. No work other than the one presented for the first round may be submitted. The submitted piece must correspond to the object visible in the photographs.
In case of non-conformity, the City of Carouge may decide to exhibit the work, but it will not be presented to the jury and will thus be excluded from the 2nd round of the competition.
10.2 Second round
The jury examines the works selected during the 1st round and duly received by the City of Carouge. It awards the City of Carouge Prize and the other prizes mentioned below (see art.11).
The assessment criteria are those enumerated in art.10.1 of the present rules.
The sending of the work for the fixed deadline and its effective reception by the City of Carouge are imperative conditions for participation in the 2nd round.
The jury’s decisions are final and do not have to be justified.

11. Awards
11.1 The jury awards the following prizes in the present competition:
∙ The City of Carouge Prize, in the amount of CHF 10,000.-;
∙ The Bruckner Foundation Prize for the promotion of ceramics, in the amount of CHF 2,000.-;
∙ The prize offered by swissceramics – Swiss Ceramics Association, in the amount of CHF 1,000.-.
11.2 The jury may freely refrain from attributing any of the prizes mentioned in these rules.
11.3 Participation in the competition (1st and 2nd rounds) gives rise to no other remuneration than that offered by the three prizes mentioned above.

12. Modalities of the exhibition
12.1 The works of competitors selected in the 1st round will be exhibited in the Museum of Carouge (Switzerland) from 14 September to 1 December 2024.
The City of Carouge reserves the right to modify unilaterally the dates and/or place of the exhibition above. In this case, it will inform the artists whose works were selected during the first round.
12.2 The positioning of the works, communication materials, and staging are handled exclusively by the Museum of Carouge and are the sole preserve of the organizing committee.
A catalogue of the exhibition will be published on this occasion.
12.3 The City of Carouge reserves the right not to exhibit specific preselected works.
12.4 The awards will be announced on the day of the exhibition’s inauguration, in principle, on Saturday, 14 September 2024.

COPYRIGHT, TRANSPORTATION AND INSURANCE OF THE WORKS

13. Copyright
13.1 Each artist participating in the competition, whether selected or not, cedes his/her copyright on the images of the work presented. The photographs and registration file become the property of the City of Carouge.
13.2 The City of Carouge reserves the right to photograph the works in order to promote the exhibition, document the city archives, publish postcards, publications on the internet and on social networks, or for any other purpose. As the catalog is published in French, the City also reserves the right to rewrite and translate the texts provided by the candidates into another language.
13.3 The granting of reproduction and representation rights is made free of charge.
13.4 A work awarded a prize by the City of Carouge becomes the full property of the collections of the Museum of Carouge.

Transportation of the works
14.1 Transport to the Museum of Carouge
Candidates whose work is selected in the 1st round undertake to send in their work in accordance with the following conditions:
∙ the works are to be sent to the address given in the e-mail informing them of their selection and participation in the exhibition, without fail by 30th June 2024 at the latest (see art.10.1);
∙ the works must be packaged and protected. They are despatched carriage paid. The candidate pays all costs for packaging, transport and customs clearance. N.B.: the weight and dimensions of the object have a significant impact on postal costs;
∙ for works sent from abroad, none can be accepted without a copy of the forms for temporary export/import;
When informed of their selection, an e-mail explaining all the steps and procedures required for despatch and delivery will be sent to the candidates.
The City of Carouge can under no circumstances be held responsible for damage occurring during transport.
14.2 Return transport
At the end of the exhibition, works will be returned to candidates under the following conditions:
∙ the cases and protective material used for sending in an entry will be re-used for the return transport;
∙ the cost of returning the work will be borne by the City of Carouge (postal charges only);
∙ the works will be returned to the address shown on the entry form. They will not be returned to any other person than the artist.

15. Insurance of the works
15.1 The City of Carouge declines all responsibility for any damage or deterioration occurring during the transport of works to or from the exhibition. It is up to the candidates to insure their works during transport.
15.2 The City of Carouge will insure the works for the duration of the exhibition as from the time of their reception.

FINAL CLAUSES

16. Acceptance of the rules
16.1 In submitting an entry form each candidate accepts the terms of the present rules.
16.2 The candidates undertake, among other things, to guarantee the accuracy of the information transmitted and to meet the requirements of the competition (conditions of participation, respect for the deadline fixed for each stage of the competition, etc.).
16.3 By registering, participants confirm that they created the work they presented. The jury may disqualify a work that does not comply with the conditions imposed, as well as withdraw or reclaim a prize already awarded.
16.4 By their registration, candidates confirm that no third-party (in particular personality rights or copyright) are prejudiced due to the use which will be made of the images or works in the publications of the City of Carouge. They undertake to contest any claims by third parties immediately and to fully release the City of Carouge from any responsibility it might incur in this respect.

17. Modifications of circumstances
The City of Carouge reserves the right to modify the present rules, and even to postpone or to cancel the holding of the competition or/and the exhibition if circumstances justify it.

18. Applicable law and jurisdiction
The present rules are subject to Swiss law. In the event of a dispute about the interpretation or implementation of the present rules, the exclusive jurisdiction is the Court of First Instance of the Canton of Geneva (Switzerland).

CALENDAR
October 2023: Launching of the International Ceramics Competition of the City of Carouge
March 1, 2024: Deadline for sending in complete competition entry dossiers
End of April 2024: 1st round of the judging: selection based on the dossiers
Mid-May 2024: Despatch of replies to candidates (priority will be given to candidates selected)
June 30, 2024: Deadline for receipt of works selected during the first round of the judging
September 13, 2024: 2nd round of judging: awarding of prizes
September 14, 2024: Announcement of the results and inauguration of the exhibition
December 1, 2024: End of the exhibition

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This makes pottery studio management software an integral part of the process for any growing pottery studio, and Classly is a powerful solution with a simple, straightforward interface. This single application allows you to manage all the operations of a pottery studio in one place, from posting classes and managing sign-ups to scheduling studio time and beyond.

By automating the paperwork of class sign-ups, memberships, email reminders, and other related tasks, Classly takes an enormous amount of work off of studio managers and owners. This allows for a new level of hands-on engagement with the things pottery studio team members fell in love with in the first place — like teaching pottery classes, doing outreach, and just spending time helping out in the studio.

On the other side, digital automation can make being a member of a pottery studio much easier to navigate. Using the community-facing side of Classly, people can effortlessly become a member, see (and sign up for) classes, and purchase studio time. But this only scratches the surface of everything it can do. A deep dive into the features reveals just how transformative this single tool can be for pottery studios.

A Platform for Members
Classly allows you to effortlessly manage memberships. This includes automated billing, outreach, and status tracking. Owners and studio managers can use the platform to update billing information, change membership status, and grant member privileges like open studio time. That alone can save managers an enormous amount of time a month.

Open Studio Self-Service Features
Wheel and equipment reservations are labor-intensive to manage. But Classly allows members to see when things are booked and then reserve time slots on their own. Updating this list is easy, too.

Full Suite of Options for Classes
As the name suggests, Classly has a wide range of functionality for classes, allowing you to do it all on the platform — eliminating confusion and countless hours of work. Manage registrations, automatically update rosters and waitlists, present media-rich course descriptions, and collect payment all in one easy-to-use platform.

Easy Integration with Other Business Tools
Classly syncs with a wide range of tools most pottery studios already use. That includes QuickBooks Online, Squarespace, WordPress, Wix, Shopify, and more. This is an essential element of the platform’s success because it allows studios to easily integrate it into their business, so it can immediately take work off of their hands.

Gift Cards and Promotions
Classly gives pottery studios many ways to reach out to their community and give them enticing offers. That includes offering gift cards through the platform and running various promotions.

Streamlined Presentation
Digital platforms are only valuable if people can easily access them. Classly works as a simple widget on your website, making it easy for members to begin using it right away. And the intuitive interface allows people to navigate the platform as soon as they join.

24/7 Support
Of course, no matter the platform, there are times when studios will need help managing issues. Classly offers live customer service from real people. They can be contacted by email, and customers can receive technical support by phone or Zoom.

Classly, the Pottery Studio Platform
Digital platforms change the way pottery studios run. With Classly, pottery studios can save labor time once dedicated to tedious tasks that often lead to mistakes, errors, and headaches. By removing those issues altogether, it frees up studio managers and instructors to do the things that made them fall in love with pottery in the first place.

Thanks to these tools, pottery studios can now do much more with the same resources, keeping their team focused on engaging the community and members — instead of dealing with paperwork.

Classly is currently offering a free demo of its platform, giving pottery studios an in-depth look at how this single app can revolutionize their workflow. As more places adopt this tool, expect to see a new level of energy going into the community.

Classly is not affiliated with Ceramics Now.