Narratives in Clay is on view at County Hall Pottery, London
January 28 – March 9, 2025
County Hall Pottery is delighted to announce Narratives in Clay, a captivating exhibition that celebrates the art of storytelling through ceramics. This extraordinary showcase, featuring the works of six innovative artists, invites audiences to rediscover the timeless relationship between narrative and clay—a bond that spans centuries and cultures.
From ancient Greek amphorae depicting mythological epics to modern sculptural interpretations of memory and identity, clay has served as a powerful narrative medium. In Narratives in Clay, each artist employs this age-old material to explore themes such as mythology, personal history, tradition, and the interplay of imagination and reality.
This exhibition highlights ceramics as more than a craft—it’s a vessel for stories that are deeply personal yet universally resonant. Visitors will encounter a wide array of works, including figurative sculptures, glazed tiles, wall-based pieces, and dynamic cut-outs, each offering a unique lens on human experience.
Featured artists
Benjamin Phillips
Renowned for his Moira Gemmill Illustrator of the Year 2024 award and as a finalist for The Yoto Carnegie Medal for Illustration, Phillips brings his illustrative genius to ceramics. His large ceramic heads, glazed slabs, and vases delve into themes of family dynamics, surrealism, and anxiety, bridging the gap between fine art and storytelling.
Katy Stubbs
Stubbs’ internationally exhibited ceramics transform human nature into vibrant, narrative-driven worlds. Her works balance playfulness with poignancy, offering stories that are as visually compelling as they are emotionally rich.
Charlie Duck
Blending art history with personal narrative, Duck’s ceramics challenge traditional art hierarchies. His works create meaningful dialogues between materiality, historical influence, and contemporary audiences.
Eun-Ha Paek
Brooklyn-based artist Eun-Ha Paek blurs the tangible and intangible through her dreamlike ceramic sculptures. Her Mongmong Lassies series, inspired by science fiction and subconscious imagery, interrogates questions of identity, memory, and individuality.
Isabel Greenberg
Acclaimed author and illustrator Isabel Greenberg brings her storytelling prowess to clay with The Midwife and The Witch, a series of intricate graffiti works that weave together mythology, motherhood, and creativity.
Kaye Blegvad
Blegvad’s intimate sculptures, inspired by folk tales and medieval art, explore identity, mental health, and resilience. Her small-scale works exude familiarity and charm while addressing profound universal themes.
About County Hall Pottery
County Hall Pottery is a groundbreaking initiative brought about to transform London’s historic County Hall into a vibrant ceramics destination. Located on London’s South Bank overlooking the River Thames, The Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, County Hall Pottery marks a new chapter in the revitalisation of this historic site.
With a vision to celebrate and support the art of pottery in all its forms, the organisation – which has been funded by County Hall Arts, and which is managed by Oxfordshire-based ceramicist Emma Louise Payne, and assisted by ceramicist Alex Simpson, offers a dynamic range of offerings including rotating exhibitions, pop-up markets, community engagement initiatives and a ‘potter in residence’ programme.
Contact
gallery@countyhallpottery.com
County Hall Pottery
County Hall, Belvedere Road
SE1 7GP London
United Kingdom
Photos courtesy of the gallery
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