The work of Christina Bryer

by | Dec 14, 2011 | Uncategorized





From her website:

“Christina Bryer has been working as an artist and designer since 1980. Her background is in jewellery design, then in 1998, she studied ceramics in London.

When she encountered Penrose’s aperiodic tiling, she began incorporating the principles into her porcelain plates. Her work is therefore based on the highest forms of geometry, yet the same patterns are found in unicellular organisms, and a cross-section of a strand of DNA, and has been called the geometry of life. Aperiodicity also describes a slice through 5th dimensional hyper-space – the geometry of the cosmos.”View more incredible work on her website here.

Sad news: The passing of Malcolm Davis.

by | Dec 13, 2011 | Uncategorized


I received an email this morning regarding the passing of Malcolm Davis. I don’t have many details but wanted to pass along the news for those of you that were close to him or inspired by him and his work. As more details surface I will update.

From the email:
“Malcolm Davis died in the morning of 12/11. He had hip replacement surgery last Thursday, recovered over the weekend…and evidently collasped in PT Mon morning and died instantly.”

His wife has requested no calls for a few days.

The following is from the AKAR website:

“I first touched clay at age 40 and knew immediately that I had been a potter all along. I love to make pots! For me, the joy and the challenge comes from making things that will become an intimate part of the daily lives of others – pots that will be held, eaten from, poured from, sipped from and perhaps even licked from. For me the making of pots is a way to celebrate the mundane rituals of daily life and to make them holy.”

Malcolm Davis has been a full-time studio potter since 1984 when he left his previous life as campus minister. He took his first ceramics class in 1974 and since 1985 has maintained his mountaintop studio in Upshur County, WV. He is internationally recognized for his work with shino-type glazes, specifically for the creation of a unique ultra Carbontrap shino-type formula with a high concentration of soluble soda ash, which encourages the trapping of carbon in the early stages of the firing.

He is the recipient of numerous awards, including four grants from the District of Columbia Commission on the Arts and Humanities, and was a finalist in the 1995 Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation/NEA Visual Artists Fellowships. Other awards include the Purchase Award at the Ceramics Monthly International Competition (1999), First Place in the 1996 Strictly Functional Pottery Show, Feats of Clay XIII and XIV Merit Awards, Orton Purchase Awards in 1994 and 1996, Crosscurrents All Media Award at the Stifel Fine Arts in Wheeling (1990. 1996), WV Juried Exhibition Merit Award in 1996, and Awards for Clay Cup VII and Clay Cup IV.

He has exhibited at the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show, the Smithsonian Craft Show and the American Craft Council Craft Shows. He has been an artist-in-residence at Artpark in Lewiston, NY; Baltimore Clayworks; Greenwich House Pottery (NYC); The Clay Studio in Philadelphia; Red Star Studios in Kansas City; Northern Clay Center in Minneapolis; Waubonsee Community College in Illinois and the Lee Arts Center in Virginia.

Malcolm’s work is included in collections at the American Crafts Museum; The Schein-Joseph International Museum of Ceramic Art, Alfred, NY; the Everson Museum, Syracuse, NY; Mobach Collection, Utrecht, Holland; Orton Permanent Collection; Arthur and Lillian Weiss Collection; Bailey Ceramics Collection; Old Church Cultural Center in Demarest, NJ; Highwater Clay Permanent Collection, Asheville, NH; American Art Clay Collection, Indianapolis, IN and the Twentieth Century Collection, Sarah Lawrence College in NY.

He has been featured in over 15 books and publications, he has published articles in American Shino by Lester Richter and Stayin’ Alive by Robin Hopper; and curated an issue of The Studio Potter Magazine on carbon trapping. The December, 2003 issue of The Studio Potter Magazine featured an extensive interview: “Malcolm Davis, Shino Warrior.” His work with carbontrap shinos was recently featured in Ceramica (Spain) and Ceramic Review (England).

Malcolm has taught and lectured widely throughout the United States and Canada, and has conducted Masters’ classes at Penland School of Crafts, Peters Valley Craft Center, Touchstone Center for Crafts, and others. Recent exhibitions include AKAR, Iowa City, Iowa; Blue Heron Gallery, Deer Isle, Maine; Blue Spiral 1, Asheville, NC; Santa Fe Clay and “Our Cups Runneth Over” at the Society of Arts and Crafts in Boston.

Malcolm recently curated a national exhibition of work with shino-type glazes, “Endless Variations: Shino Review 2005,” featured at the 2005 NCECA Conference in Baltimore. In 2007 he juried the 15th annual Strictly Functional Pottery National and was one of three presenters at the 20th annual NC Potters’ Conference in Seagrove. He also taught a two-week carbontrap shino workshop at La Meridiana in Tuscany in 2007 and 2008.

Here are a few other links to info and images:
http://www.18handsgallery.com/bios/malcolm.html
http://www.mudfire.com/malcolm-davis-am08.htm

Thank you to Ruby Serben for sharing the news.

transFORM @ The Source Art Centre

by | Dec 6, 2011 | Uncategorized

This year, in celebration of the Year of Craft 2011, The Source Gallery is hosting a specially curated exhibition of the finest contemporary ceramics. transFORM is curated by Ceramics Ireland, the exhibition showcases the work of ceramic makers living here and Irish makers abroad, in this touring show. The exhibition evolved as a response to the Crafts Council of Ireland’s call to celebrate the Year of Craft 2011.

transFORM features work of the highest quality craftsmanship, including functional, decorative and sculptural ceramics. This landmark exhibition is an important event in the history of Ceramics Ireland, representing ongoing efforts to promote Irish ceramic practice amidst growing international recognition.
For more info please visit their website.

Vallauris Institute of Arts: Master Classes in 2012

by | Dec 5, 2011 | Uncategorized

Masterclass workshop with Khaled SIRAG – July 30th to August 12th 2012
Khaled SIRAG “Development of a monumental Collective work” A lecturer doctor at Helwan University in Cairo (a member of the ceramics department, Faculty of Applied Arts), Khaled SIRAG is an artist known for his personal and collective work, he exhibits around the world and he’s also known for participating in many international symposiums and workshops. He already lead (in Korea, Turkey) the same kind of project we will address in this course: Development of a monumental Collective work. The title of the work is “How to build Humanity” “Indeed, how to build humanity …? It should be a central element to cherish: a pillar, a mast, a guide ….We believe humanity develops through “individualities” put together…We will develop a monumental piece of about 2.50m – 3m in height which will be surrounded by an accumulation of personal items, where each individual will print and express his/her identity. (see photo below). The base of this project will develop with discussions and the creativity of all the participants. We will use the following techniques: Raku, Naked Raku, and Pit firing for larger pieces that made up the core. This workshop will last two weeks. On Friday of the second week, the firing (Raku, Naked Raku) will be held in public on the main square of the old town; we will “picnic” on the spot and some artists from Vallauris will join us for the preparation and the firings. Further details will come later when all negotiations with the Cityhall will be finalized. This outdoors collective work will be a donation to the city of Vallauris and be on permanent display in a public place. The event will be inserted in the communication of the “Pottery Festival” to be held on the last day of the course. In this regard, you are cordially invited to the lunch on that will bring together with all Ceramists of Vallauris, on Sunday afternoon, before your departure. – « Masterclass » workshop – 14 days* :
1300€ with accomodation If you live on the area and you would like to participate, please contact us. Fee includes clay, glazes, and firings *Included : breakfasts at the studio + 1 welcome lunch on Monday + museum visits.

Workshop with Masakazu KUSAKABE – february the 13th to 17th

+ february the 18 th 2012

Mazakazu KUZAKABE

«Back to Fukushima”

An intensive workshop with Mazakazu KUSAKABE, famous master of Japanese traditional Raku, will lead, for the second time at the Institute, two workshops about the ancient technique. Also known internationally for his constructions of “smoke free” wood kilns, he will share with us some aspects of his technique. The week workshop on the “traditional bowl” will be punctuated with small lectures on ancient techniques, history of Ceramic Art in Japan, the Zen philosophy … Several firings will take place, including one by night. A small exhibit of your bowls and a tea ceremony will complete the workshop. For the workshop on Saturday, bowls already bisque fired will be provided, but you can, if you wish, bring your own bowls (already fired). — – “Masterclass” workshop – 5 days* :
€ 650 with accommodation
€ 450 without accommodation – “Masterclass” workshop – 1 day **:
€ 85 day Equipment, materials and firings included. * The breakfasts in the studio are included + 1 welcome lunch on Monday + museum visits ** Breakfast included. Usually, everyone brings a dish and a drink to share for lunch in the studio.

Vallauris Institute of Arts

http://vallauris-ioa.com/via/workshops/?lang=en
69 bis avenue Georges Clemenceau
06220 VALLAURIS – FRANCE
Tel : +33 493746913 / +33 492027409
Fax : +33 492027248
[email protected]