#57 – An inside look at Ceramics Ringebu (in Norway)
Ceramics Now Weekly #57 features an interview with a visionary ceramic artist and organizer, the week's news in the ceramics world, and new featured artists.
Hello! Welcome to the 57th edition of Ceramics Now Weekly. This is Vasi Hirdo, the founding editor of Ceramics Now.
I hope you are doing well today 👋 Let’s see what's new.
An inside look at Ceramics Ringebu (in Norway)
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 brought together international ceramic artists and esteemed Norwegian artists, igniting a creative spark that would reverberate through the years.
Three decades later, we had the privilege of sitting down with Torbjørn Kvasbø to talk about the current exhibition, Ceramics Ringebu 1993-2023, and delve into the inspiration behind the workshop and his vision for creating the Centre for Ceramic Art. In this innovative space, ceramics creativity and exploration know no bounds. Read the interview in Ceramics Now.
New featured artists in Ceramics Now
This edition of Ceramics Now Weekly is presented by Romy Bennie
Discover Romy Bennie’s works →
Moved by the powerful landscape of her home in the Byron hinterland, Romy has sought to imbue her ceramic works with the same lifeblood of ancient majesty and mystery. Galvanized by the diversity of her natural surroundings and their extraordinary and sometimes terrible beauty, Romy’s works seek to personify elements of nature – the erosion of time, the tranquillity of a body of water, the surface of the moon.
Self-taught, Romy feels deeply for the experimental joys inherent in creation; foraging for earthy relics to incorporate into her works employing rare techniques, ever looking to the sea, the sky, and the land as her muses.
The week’s news in the ceramic world
✅ There are only two weeks left to apply for The Journey of Ceramics: 2023 Jingdezhen International Ceramic Art Biennale. The deadline for applications is August 15, 2023, with 260 works set to be selected for exhibition. This prestigious event will be held in the renowned city of Jingdezhen, China, from December 15, 2023, to June 15, 2024. Artists will have the chance to compete for prizes totaling over $270,000.
👌 The National Sculpture Factory in Cork hosts CLAY : holding / transforming / performing between August 25-27, 2023. The festival celebrates clay as a fundamental and complex material through live practice and keynote live conversations featuring artists Linda Sormin, Florence Peake, William Cobbing, Simon Kidd, Kate O'Kelly, Bernadette Tuite, and Nuala O'Donovan. The festival is curated by Clare Twomey, Nuala O'Donovan, and NSF curator Dobz O'Brien.
🥇 CERCO International Prize announced the selected artists for this year's competition. The winners of the XVIII edition will be announced at the exhibition's opening reception on September 21 at the Centro de Artesanía de Aragón in Zaragoza, Spain.
🎪 The International Ceramics Fair Oldenburg is taking place later this week in the historic city of Oldenburg, Germany. Over 100 artists will show & sell their work.
🔥 Applications are now open for several NCECA Fellowships: the 2024 NCECA Emerging Artist Fellowships, the 10th Annual NCECA Multicultural Fellowships, and the 20th Annual NCECA Graduate Student Fellowships. NCECA membership is required to apply for the Emerging Artist & Graduate Student Fellowships. Deadline: September 13, 2023.
💬 AMOCA is hosting a virtual artist talk with Artist in Residence Breana Ferreira to celebrate her residency in the AMOCA Studios. Ferreira will share about her practice, past work, and future directions. The artist talk will take place online on August 22 at 10 PM EEST.
🎓 The Clay Studio (Philadelphia) recently opened registration for their Fall classes, taking place from September 20 to December 4.
🔍 What’s On View: The Sodeisha Group: An Era Born Out of Avant-garde Ceramics is on view at The National Museum of Modern Art Kyoto / Grace Sachi Troxell: Cosmic Daikon is on view at Wave Hill's Sunroom Project Space, New York / Roxanne Jackson: Candle Holders for the Underworld is on view at Andrew Rafacz Gallery, Chicago / Lisa Hammond: Soda Alchemy is on view at Leach Pottery, St Ives / Rokubey Kiyomizu VIII: CERAMIC SIGHT is on view at Nonaka Hill, Los Angeles / The Complexity of Touch – An Installation by Madi Boyd is on view at Orleans House Gallery, Twickenham / Morten Klitgaard: Rotations is on view at Heller Gallery, New York
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Exhibitions
Discover these ceramic exhibitions that were recently featured in Ceramics Now.
Instagram inspiration
Liisa Nelson (left) and Toni Losey (right)
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Great post!