The week’s news in the ceramic art world – September 29, 2021

The week’s news in the ceramic world

₿ In this article published today in Ceramics Now, Ashley Gifford talks about New Ownership, an exhibition at Eutectic Gallery, Portland, which challenges the concept of how we can collect ceramics. Can NFTs challenge the way we collect ceramics? How would this recently-developed blockchain/financial technology be incorporated alongside physical artworks in a gallery space?

The 2021 Korean International Ceramic Biennale starts on Friday. Under the theme “Re: Start”, KICB 2021 looks at the roles and meanings of ceramic art in the post COVID-19 era. You can see the list of participating artists here, and if you have the chance to visit South Korea, don’t miss the International Competition exhibition and the guest country exhibition: A Story Beyond the Sea: Dutch Ceramics Now, both on view at the at Gyeonggi Museum of Contemporary Ceramic Art.

The International Ceramics Festival MINO 2021, Japan also opens tomorrow with the theme “From You, From Now, From Here”. They haven’t published any information about the main exhibition yet, but I’m guessing you would like to see how it looks before everyone else. We’ll have more information about the winners in the next edition of CN Weekly.

Craft Contemporary (Victoria, Australia) starts later this week! The festival is a month-long celebration of new approaches, ideas, and experimentation by today’s makers through a dynamic program of over 50 events, exhibitions and projects, and featuring close to 300 artists across Victoria and online. Make sure to check out their events (including satellite program) and register for their virtual open studios.

Ashley Thorpe recently launched his latest book, Contemporary British Ceramics: Beneath the Surface. This illustrated book reviews the work of twenty-two British artists. Written from a collector’s point of view, it explores what contemporary ceramic objects can mean, what emotions they evoke and how artists draw upon different facets of the art and crafts worlds in their work. Use the code “crowood10” to get 10% off.

Exactly one year ago we presented the students ceramics exhibition at Konstfack, Stockholm. They all graduated this year and we wanted to present you their diploma works. Mårten Medbo, Senior Lecturer in Ceramics: “Finding your expression requires hard work, and this year’s bachelor’s students have had to confront not only the resistance offered by their own artistic practice, but also the limitations and obstacles brought by the ongoing pandemic.”

A call for papers: Ceramics Now is seeking academic articles on contemporary ceramics for its web publication. Articles, which should be between 800 and 2,500 words, should be the result of original research that has not been published elsewhere. Please contact the editor at vasi@ceramicsnow.org with a brief outline of your proposal.

If you are into Japanese ceramics, watch this guided walkthrough of Goldmark’s latest ceramics exhibition featuring the work of Koichiro Isezaki. Koichiro Isezaki is the son of Bizen City’s current Living National Treasure Jun Isezaki (b. 1936). Like his father, Isezaki has a firm belief in the need for creative innovation, nurtured by an understanding of the methods and values of previous generations. While the fundamental elements of his working practice are the same as those used by potters in Bizen City for over a thousand years, his work is often radically different in form and philosophy.

Slipware is on view at Oxford Ceramics Gallery / Yeesookyung: Flame Seed is on view at Gana Art Nineone, Seoul / Light & Reflection, an online presentation by Greg Daly, is on view at Skepsi Gallery, Australia / Masayoshi Oya: The ordinary art is on view at Kaolin, Stockholm / Three exhibitions are on view at the Benyamini Contemporary Ceramics Center, Tel Aviv / Shannon Weston: African Identities is on view at the Gardiner Museum, Toronto