Bernard Leach and bookcase, Tokyo 1917-1919. Photographer unknown. From the Bernard Leach archive at the Crafts Study Centre, University for the Creative Arts, BHL/12567
Bernard Leach exhibition marks the reopening of the Crafts Study Centre in Farnham, UK
The Crafts Study Centre (CSC), part of University for the Creative Arts’ Farnham campus, reopened to the public on Tuesday 29 September with a landmark exhibition about the work of the celebrated and influential potter Bernard Leach.
‘The Leach Pottery: 100 Years On from St Ives’: A century after the founding of Leach’s studio, this exhibition pays tribute to his work and examines his continuing and extensive influence. The works on display, drawn from the CSC collections, include ceramics acquired since the year 2000, although some early works by Hamada and Leach from the 1920s are also exhibited, selected from the great founding gift made by Bernard Leach to CSC in the 1970s. In addition, works from the Alan Bell archive – drawings, etchings and designs – will be shown to the public for the first time.
Exhibition dates: September 29, 2020 – August 14, 2021
The show’s curator, and CSC director, Professor Simon Olding, said “The Leach Pottery in St Ives, Cornwall, is a remarkable place, one of the founding places of studio pottery in England. It is a site where local production met East Asian philosophy and the place where Bernard Leach and Shoji Hamada put their ideas and dreams of a pottery workshop into action, making both essential tablewares and works of art. The Leach Pottery celebrates its centenary in 2020, carrying on the narrative and production for new generations.” Professor Olding is editing a new book of essays on Leach, ‘Bernard Leach: discovered archives’, for publication at the end of this year. CSC gratefully acknowledges the support of Art Fund and the V & A Museum Purchase Fund in the acquisition of the Alan Bell collection of Bernard Leach materials. You can read more about the acquisition in the winter issue of Art Quarterly, to be published on 1 December 2020.
Bernard Leach and unknown maker, bowl, raku, Tokyo, 1911. One of the very first pots that Leach made. (c) Crafts Study Centre, University for the Creative Arts, P.75.67 
Bernard Leach, ‘pagoda pot’, stoneware, 1970s. The lid relates to the roof of the Temple of Heaven, Beijing. (c) Crafts Study Centre, University for the Creative Arts, P.75.105.a-b 
Bernard Leach, furniture designs, 1917-1919. The bookcase is in the collection of the Japan Folk Crafts Museum, Tokyo. (c) Bernard Leach Estate. From the Alan Bell archive at the Crafts Study Centre, University for the Creative Arts, ABL/1/1/2 
The Leach Pottery, St Ives, c.1925. Leach is standing in the background. Photographer unknown. From the Alan Bell archive at the Crafts Study Centre, University for the Creative Arts, ABL/3/1/1
The Farnham-based Crafts Study Centre and its galleries, part of University for the Creative Arts, have been newly adapted to respect current Covid-19 guidelines. Visitors are now asked to book a timed visit, via Eventbrite (see link below), and must wear a mask at all times while in the Centre. All visitors are asked to observe social distancing during their visit.
The University for the Creative Arts (UCA) is the highest-ranked creative specialist university in the UK (Complete University Guide 2021 and the Guardian League Table 2021), offering students a multitude of courses in the creative arts, business and technology.
The University has been providing students with an unparalleled creative education for over 160 years, at campuses in Canterbury, Epsom, Farnham, Rochester, Hampton Court and Maidstone as well as by distance learning. Our exceptional team of world-class teaching and research academics are equipping the next generation of creators, innovators and leaders with the skills they need to thrive in the creative industries.
Contact
craftscentre@ucreative.ac.uk
Address
Crafts Study Centre
University for the Creative Arts
Falkner Road, Farnham
Surrey GU9 7DS
