83 - A spotlight on South African ceramics
Ceramics Now Weekly #83 features an article about the first South African Clay Awards exhibition, the week's news in the ceramics world, and new featured artists.
Hello! Welcome to the 83rd 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.
Finding a South African voice: The first South African Clay Awards
By Ann Marais
The first South African Clay Awards exhibition, held at Rust-en-Vrede Gallery and Clay Museum in Durbanville, outside Cape Town, from November to December 2024, marked a significant milestone for South African ceramics. A distinguished panel of ten internationally recognized ceramic experts selected fifty works from over five hundred entries.
With excellence in craftsmanship as a given, the overall, most dominant features of this exhibition that are evident include a great diversity in creative expression; clear indications of an emerging South African “ceramic voice,” and in line with international contemporary trends, the creation of abstract form used as metaphor that express an existential zeitgeist in an increasingly anxious world.
[...] In this exhibition, an impetus to celebrate traditional cultural, everyday, functional household ceramics is given voice and value. A particular physical characteristic of these wares is the blackened color resulting from firings conducted using natural materials (wood, paper, sawdust), a practice that has been the traditional way to fire pottery in Africa for centuries.
New featured artists in Ceramics Now
The week’s news in the ceramic world
👌 The organizers of the 25th anniversary Panevėžys International Ceramic Symposium (Lithuania) invite artists to submit their applications to participate in the 2025 symposium between July 16 and August 9, 2025. To date, 24 symposiums have already been held in Panevėžys, with the participation of 186 artists from 37 countries around the world, and a collection of nearly 700 large-scale stoneware ceramic works has been amassed. This symposium is the largest event dedicated to ceramic art in Lithuania. Applications are due February 23, 2025.
⭐ The 4th International Symposium of Garden-park Ceramic Sculptures (Georgia) also invites artists to submit their applications by March 15, 2025. Organized by Lopota Lake Resort & Spa and White Studio between May 18 and June 1, 2025, the "Bird of Paradise" symposium hosts artists from around the world to create ceramic sculptures in the breathtaking setting of Georgia's Caucasus Mountains. Last year, we had the pleasure of speaking with Nato Eristavi, one of the organizers, who provided a deeper look into the symposium's character.
🧐 L'Institut Européen des Arts Céramiques (IEAC Guebwiller, France) invites artists based in Europe to apply to their Research & Creation Ceramic Residency. The residency lasts 12 weeks (non-consecutive) between April and December, allowing artists to work in a dedicated ceramic studio. The artist will be provided housing for the entire residency, a €2,500 residency grant, and up to €1,500 for production costs. Artists must provide proof of professional status. Applications are due March 2, 2025.
⚫ The ceramic art community is sad to learn about the passing of David Armstrong, founder of the American Museum of Ceramic Art. AMOCA reflected on his life's work: "David's unwavering vision and dedication to ceramic arts education transformed countless lives. He created more than a museum – he built a vibrant community that continues to inspire and educate. His recent joy in witnessing AMOCA's 20th Anniversary celebration … and the premiere of a short documentary film about his remarkable journey make his loss especially poignant. While we will deeply miss his physical presence, David's spirit will forever resonate through our galleries and ceramic studio."
🎨 The Diessener Töpfermarkt Ceramics Fair (Dießen am Ammersee, Germany) recently announced the creation of a Young Ceramics Award (€2,500) aimed at European artists under 35 years old. Selected artists will display their work during the fair between May 29 and June 1, 2025. The application deadline is April 7, 2025.
💡 A-B Projects is offering New Wave Scholarships for students and recent graduates that cover enrollment in their monthly Studio Sessions for 2025. Studio Sessions are an online platform where an intimate group of artists gather weekly for 4 weeks under the guidance of a lead artist to discuss specific ideas and experiment with how those ideas can take form in clay. Rosa Glaessner Novak will host next month's session.
⏳ There are only a few weeks left to apply for the 1st International Ceramics Sculpture Triennale Poland. Selected pieces will be featured in an exhibition at The Royal Castle in Warsaw from June 26 to October 26, 2025. The Triennale will honor the most outstanding works with several awards, including a Grand Prize of approximately $10,000.
📙 Book recommendation: Viola Frey: Artist's Mind/Studio/World. This exciting new book explores the American artist Viola Frey (1933-2004) through her wide-ranging artistic practice, from vivid, pictorial pastels to her beloved larger-than-life sculptures. Spanning more than 50 years, Frey's art-making crisscrossed myriad subjects, mediums, and forms. The book includes texts by Cynthia de Bos, Nancy Lim, Jodi Throckmorton, and Jenelle Porter. Buy the book on Bookshop.org (US) or Amazon (world).
🎓 Jobs Board: New Mexico Highlands University (Las Vegas, NM) is hiring an Assistant Professor of Art History and Ceramics - Tenure Track
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Exhibitions
Discover these ceramic exhibitions that were recently featured in Ceramics Now.
🔍 What's on View
A selection of ceramic exhibitions currently on view around the world.
Julia Haft-Candell: Hold at Rebecca Camacho Presents, San Francisco
Imaginary Geometries at Galateea Contemporary Art, Bucharest
Yves Malfliet: Convoi Exceptionnel at Galerie Sofie Van Den Bussche, Brussels
Karol Zarbocks: Dark Waters at Kunsthalle Grenland, Porsgrunn
Encouragement of Japanese Contemporary Ceramics Kikuchi Collection at Tomo Museum, Tokyo
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