64 – A ceramics biennale in Latvia and New Year wishes
Ceramics Now Weekly #64 features a ceramics biennale in Latvia, new year wishes, and the week's news in the ceramics world.
Hello! Welcome to the 64th 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.
A ceramics biennale in Latvia
In the heart of the Baltics, a remarkable event unfolds every two years, bringing together the vibrancy of contemporary ceramics. The Latvia Ceramics Biennale, a prestigious platform celebrating the legacy of ceramicist Pēteris Martinsons, is more than just a ceramics competition. Last year, I had the honor of experiencing firsthand the complexity and scope of the 4th edition of the Biennale, as a member of the jury.
This edition’s theme, ‘Troubled Waters’, not only reflects the versatility of ceramics but also mirrors the complexities of our current world. From the Martinsons Award’s record-breaking submissions to the unique exhibition-based cultural exchanges with Korea and Portugal, the Biennale is a testament to the evolving and dynamic nature of ceramic art. Read on and explore the stories of the 4th Latvia Ceramics Biennale in Ceramics Now.
New Year Wishes
Happy New Year! Thank you for being part of the Ceramics Now community, reading our stories, and creating and sharing your work with us.
It's been a pleasure to serve you the best in contemporary ceramics in 2023: news, artist features, articles, interviews, exhibitions, and other resources.
This past year has been particularly stressful, yet I have high hopes for 2024. Meeting some wonderful people in the ceramics community has been a highlight, and I look forward to contributing to new projects this year. I am excited about publishing new stories, discovering the works of new artists, seeing innovative ceramics, and publishing a new book.
I am thankful to the 290+ members of Ceramics Now who keep this publication going and the organizations who sponsored and advertised with us in the past year. I listed some of them at the end of this issue.
If you enjoy reading Ceramics Now, please consider becoming a member in 2024. Read more about membership.
I wish you all a wonderful 2024! 🙌
The featured artists section will resume later this month.
Sponsored by the CLAY Museum of Ceramic Art Denmark
Playing with Fire: Edmund de Waal and Axel Salto →
Axel Salto (1889 – 1961) is considered one of the greatest masters of stoneware. Artist and acclaimed potter Edmund de Waal curates this exhibition showing Salto’s ceramic works alongside drawings, writings, and textiles. Furthermore, Edmund de Waal reflects on Salto’s enduring influence in a major new installation.
The week’s news in the ceramic world
📦 The Clay Studio (Philadelphia) invites US-based artists to apply to their Small Favors show by February 1, 2024. Conceived in 2006, Small Favors grew out of The Clay Studio's efforts to offer accessible, high-quality artworks that appeal to art enthusiasts of all ages. Restricted to the confines of a four-inch cube, the artworks created for this exhibition are small in scale yet huge in impact.
🍁 Canadian artists are invited to submit their applications for the Winifred Shantz Award for Ceramics until January 21, 2024. The winner of the award will receive $10,000. One runner-up will receive a prize of $5,000. Up to 3 finalists will also be selected, and each will receive a prize of $1,000. The winner, runner-up, and finalists will feature their work in a Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery group exhibition.
📍 There are a few days left to apply for the International Ceramics Fair Oldenburg (Germany), Argillà Italia (Faenza, Italy), and the European Ceramics Festival Terralha (Saint-Quentin-la-Poterie, France). You can find these events listed in the 2024 ceramics calendar.
👌 Applications are also open for the C14 Paris 2024 show, which will be held during the first weekend of October in Paris. Participation fee: €350. Applications are due February 19, 2024.
🔥 The Ceramic Studio (UK) has recently unveiled its upcoming Guest Potter Workshops, set to take place in the Spring/Summer of 2024. The lineup includes 14 renowned potters, each bringing their own unique flair and expertise to the table. These workshops are a fantastic opportunity to expand your knowledge, refine your techniques, and gain invaluable insights from some of the most distinguished ceramicists.
🌍 The Civitella Ranieri Foundation launched "Umbrian Ceramics: From Etruria through Novecento and Today." A part of Civitella Ranieri's Sojourns in Umbria program, the ten-day tour, led by ceramicist Robert Raphael, will lead participants on excursions to important sites in Umbria, Tuscany, and Emilia Romagna. The group will travel to museums, archeological sites, and contemporary workshops and enjoy homemade meals, fascinating lectures, and the beautiful regional landscape at the Castle in Umbertide.
📙 Discover the mesmerizing world of Axel Salto and Edmund de Waal in Sanne Flyvbjerg's article, 'In Conversation with Clay'. This feature captures the essence of Salto's nature-inspired sculptures and de Waal's porcelain pieces. Find out how they transform clay into expressions of growth, metamorphosis, and artistic dialogue.
📗 Nikhil Purohit's article, 'Rubbing the Clay with Soot and Past,' offers a captivating glimpse into the ceramic work of Neha Gawand Pullarwar, where Mumbai's socio-political landscape merges with Stoke-on-Trent's industrial heritage. Through insightful historical interpretations, Neha's work reflects on the intertwined evolution of industry and society, celebrating artistic innovation and the enduring spirit of the working class.
🎓 The Noble and Greenough School (Dedham, MA) is seeking candidates for a Part-time Ceramics Instructor (leave replacement 2024-2025 school year)
🔍 What’s On View: Mentors – Ceramists and teachers in Belgium is on view at Keramis, La Louvière / Ruth Duckworth: Life as a Unity is on view at the Smart Museum of Art, Chicago / Terra Goolsby: The Shape of Dusk is on view at Ivester Contemporary, Austin / Hanna Miadzvedzeva: Landscapes is on view at Rothko Museum, Daugavpils / Nicholas Lees and Greg Payce: Liminal and Lenticular is on view at Messums West, Tisbury / Katie Spragg: Natural Practice is on view at Make Hauser & Wirth, Somerset / Claudia von Boch is on view at Galerie le Bunker, Sainte-Croix / Jacob van der Beugel: Wherever the two shall meet is on view at NewArtCentre, Salisbury
Do you have news that you’d like to share with the world? Let us know—reply to this email.
Exhibitions
Discover these ceramic exhibitions that were recently featured in Ceramics Now.
Ceramics Now is thankful to the 290+ paid members who generously supported our work in 2023, including Keiko Art International, Cavin-Morris Gallery, Susan Collett, Sally Cleary, Jennifer McCandless, Jan Schachter, Catherine Portal, Tony Briffa, Kathleen O’Hara, Robert Milnes, Idelisse Malavé, Shamai Gibsh, Suzy Birstein, James Evans, Mon Coin Studio, Esther Link, Susan Beiner, Judy Nelson-Moore, Jane King, Alexandra Muse Ehrlich, Claudia Von Boch, Associazione Italiana Città della Ceramica AiCC, Kurt Ross, James Kwan, Peter Augustus, Charlotte Lindley Martin, Neil Forrest, Elena Mahno, Skuja Braden, Kristina Rutar, Liza Riddle, IaRex l’Atelier – Lauren Kearns, Shelley Spira Burns, Anne-Laure Cano, Carol Claridge, Susannah Israel, Musée de Carouge, Carol Pulitzer, Gill Zimmermann, Amy Evans McClure, Coreen Abbott, Femi Akande, Nadine Bell, Helen Duncan, Elena Mahno, Shelley Spira Burns, Mark Goudy, Kara Thomas, Nathalie Campion, Minaal Lawn, and Fondation Bruckner, among others.
We also want to thank the institutions who sponsored and advertised with us in the past year: Crocker Art Museum, Keramikmuseum Westerwald, Musée de Carouge, CLAY Museum of Ceramic Art Denmark, Princessehof National Museum of Ceramics, Korean Craft Museum, The Stratford Gallery, Dai Ichi Arts, Plinth Gallery, ESH Gallery, Sealed Earth Gallery, Alison Bradley Projects, The Ceramic Studio, Lončič Pottery Studio, Classly, Kiln Fire, The Civitella Ranieri Foundation, Cheongju Craft Biennale, Terralha European Ceramic Festival, Jingdezhen International Ceramic Art Biennale, Biennale Internationale de Vallauris, Kunstuniversität Linz, University of Tennessee School of Art, Rhode Island School of Design, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and others.
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