Welcome To My World: ceramics with narrative showcases the work of 35 contemporary artists using commonplace items to address cultural, social and political issues - and it's coming New Brewery Arts in Cirencester this summer.
Among the artists exhibiting is Ingram prize-winning Conor Coulston, who has also been selected to appear in the 2021 British Ceramics Biennial AWARD show.
And while pottery might not always be considered a thought-provoking art form, this exhibition presents pieces which tell a variety of untold stories that are 'both deeply personal and universally significant' through clay - including how art history represents LGBTQ+ communities, the rise in the cult of celebrity and the impact of technological consumerism.
Curator, Nick Duxbury, said: 'There has never been an exhibition in the UK that looks at narrative in ceramics - the styles may differ, the subject matter might be different between the artists, the techniques, scale and approach might vary massively, but there is a common thread stitching them together loosely. Widely defined you could say this loose thread is the artists' take on the human condition which is, admittedly, vague, but more specifically all these artists inhabit their own stylistic worlds that they use to present their experiences and ruminations on current affairs, human emotions, and shared cultural histories.
'Unlike most other art forms, we don't typically think of ceramics as being a medium that challenges its audience, but these are artists who defy convention, often using the stereotype of ceramic traditions to create their juxtapositions.'
Originally commissioned by The Burton at Bideford Art Gallery and Museum, Welcome To My World: ceramics with narrative is at New Brewery Arts in Cirencester from Saturday 13 August to Saturday 15 October 2022.
