Showcasing a curated collection of contemporary ceramics that elevates the earthen art form from functional to fine art, Clay: Collected Ceramics is now on display at the Museum of Brisbane until 22 October 2023.
Clay: Collected Ceramics features modern artworks by renowned local artists that break the mould and highlight the shape-shifting relationship between the potter and their product,
The curated collection includes newly commissioned works, never seen before from cutting-edge Brisbane ceramic artists, Bonnie Hislop, Steph Woods, Kenji Uranishi, Jane du Rand and Nicolette Johnson.
Ceramic artist Kylie Johnson (Paper Boat Press) will share her lifetime passion for collecting pottery with a selection of pieces that smashes the perception that functional and beautiful are mutually exclusive.
Built from Kylie’s extensive private collection, this deeply intimate installation will include an astounding selection of local and international talent hand-selected by the collector throughout her career.
Spanning 60 years of hands-on creativity, the exhibition features works by ten renowned makers including Carl McConnell (1926–2003), one of Queensland’s most significant post-World War II potters as well as Gwyn Hanssen Pigott, Milton Moon, Lyndal Moor and Kevin Grealy.
Artist-in-Residence Jody Rallah has created a work which will see the Yuggera, Biri Gubba and Warangu artist use her handmade coolamons (cultural vessels traditionally made of tree bark) to create a new mural especially for the exhibition.
At the entrance to the exhibition a display called Commune has collated around 300 memory vessels lent by Brisbane’s ceramicist community for the museum’s largest artist-sourced display to date.
The Museum of Brisbane exhibition also takes visitors behind the artworks and into the workshop in an exclusively commissioned film that delves into the hidden intimacy of the artist studio.
Museum of Brisbane Acting CEO Cathy de Silva said the practice of ceramics has formed an integral part of various cultures around the world for centuries as a storage vessel of both traditions and tales.
“As a material, clay can change its form under the hands of its maker – so too can each piece’s very purpose,” said Ms de Silva.
“Clay: Collected Ceramics at Museum of Brisbane will dive deeper into the personal processes of creating and collecting pottery pieces and celebrate the makers who have used this medium to create and shape the contemporary landscape of local art.”
From earth-toned pottery to otherworldly porcelain pieces that dare to defy utility, Clay: Collected Ceramics is a celebration of contemporary ceramics and cutting-edge makers.
Clay: Collected Ceramics
Museum of Brisbane, Level 3 – Brisbane City Hall, 64 Adelaide Street, Brisbane
Exhibition continues to Sunday 22 October 2023
Free entry
For more information, visit: www.museumofbrisbane.com.au for details.
Image: Bonnie Hislop for Clay: Collected Ceramics at Museum of Brisbane 2023 – photo by Macami