Interviews

In the brick vase clay cup jug exhibition at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Glenn Barkley presents a novel approach to curation. Drawing on the gallery's online collection database, his selection of artworks is a poetic convergence of randomness and intuition. The resulting exhibition offers a fresh perspective on the connections between seemingly disparate objects. Alongside this, Barkley's...

The 30th edition of the Mediterraneo Contemporary Ceramics Competition took place in Grottaglie, Italy, between July and September 2023. We enjoyed talking to Marco Maria Polloniato, the competition curator, to learn more about the event. Can you tell us about the history of the Mediterraneo competition and how it has evolved into a prestigious event today? The history of the...

In the world of contemporary ceramics, Torbjørn Kvasbø's name is among the most revered. As a visionary organizer, renowned ceramic artist (and the President of the International Academy of Ceramics), Kvasbø initiated the Winter Olympics Workshop in Ringebu in 1993 and established the Centre for Ceramic Art (CCA) in 2019, leaving an enduring mark on Norwegian ceramics. This pioneering workshop...

Interview with Lauren Kearns, the founder of IaRex l'Atelier, a ceramics studio and residency program Lauren Kearns is a ceramic artist and teacher who boldly decided to relocate to the scenic south of France in 2018, where she opened a ceramics studio and residency program. Named IaRex l'Atelier: International Artists Residency Exchange, this creative space welcomes individuals who want to...

Established in 2016, The Stratford Gallery represents some of the finest contemporary Japanese ceramics. In this interview with Howard Clegg, the gallery's co-founder, we set out to find out more about their activities and plans. Can you tell us the story behind the founding of the gallery? The gallery was founded by me and my wife Emma and was the...

Last month, the Princessehof National Museum of Ceramics in Leeuwarden, the Netherlands, opened Handle with Care, a fantastic exhibition that revolves around the hand and gestures – expressions of intimacy, compassion, serenity, authority, labor and celebration. We talked to curator Dr. Wendy Gers to learn more about the complexities of organizing such an awe-inspiring show. First, I want to congratulate...

By Lilianne Milgrom Irit Ovadia Rosenberg would be the first to tell you that she never imagined establishing a ceramic practice amongst the towering pines of New York State’s Catskills mountains, far from the madding crowd of her native New York City. Nestled between the conifers and surrounded by wild fern, her studio barn and cottage gallery provide a serene...

Mary Fox is a self-taught exploratory potter who has been working with clay since she was thirteen years old and as a professional potter for over forty years. Her innovative and inspired creations have garnered national and international acclaim. Fox creates contemporary pieces based on classic lines that express the beauty and strength of pure form. With inspired original glazes...

This last summer we opened our first weekly newsletter announcing that applications are open for this year's Officine Saffi Award. Over 2000 of you clicked to read more about the award, so we decided to interview Laura Borghi, the founder of Officine Saffi, so we can learn more about their activities. Also, we remind you that applications to Officine Saffi...

Sundaymorning@ekwc is an international artist-in-residence and center-of-excellence for ceramics based in an old factory in Oisterwijk, The Netherlands. For over 50 years, artists, designers, and architects from all over the world have worked here to experiment with clay. Their mission is to further develop the ceramic material and to promote its application in art, design, and architecture. A couple of...

Clay, readymades, glass, glaze and dust are all mixed to form your sculptures. Why do you combine these materials and how do you select them? I build sculptures of hard objects, readymades that are given to me by friends or bought at flea markets. My interest lies within the mass produced, and highly consumed items, where the aesthetic expression is...

It can be said about your work that it embraces significant change every three to four years. Where do you find the resources and ideas to create works similar in style, yet very different and exciting for the viewer? I change with the passing of time, and because I change, my works must change as well. As the works are...

You find something particularly human in porcelain: “it can suggest the weight of corporality as effective as it captures the translucence of spiritual experience”. When and how did you discover its capabilities? Early in graduate school when I began experimenting with sculptural work, I was initially drawn to porcelain for its smooth elasticity that I hadn’t experienced in the stoneware...

You spent a great deal of time immersed in the Canadian wilderness, which has been a major influence in your work. How did the natural environment shape your identity and consequently your practice? Initially, I had no idea that my time spent in the wilderness was going to impact my creative process. My first three years in undergraduate school were...

As a Danish ceramic artist, do you consider the living climate an important influence in your work? I think it’s fair to say that my works have a certain Nordic nature component. Danish nature is not wild and magnificent – more one that offers quiet experiences: a misty morning over the ploughed fields; an old, dead tree; rainy weather that...

Why did you choose the vessel as the central element of your art? Was there a transition from functional vessels to sculptural ones? I have been working in ceramics continually since 1980. There have been periods when I have moved away from the vessel, but really it has been at the core of my work for most of the time...