Written in Clay

“I have grown to know why I have a philosophy about ceramics. It’s taking one object, one substance that you’ve been familiar with all your life and making it into something else.” —John David Lawrence

Written in Clay presents a history of ceramics made in British Columbia told through the collection of John David Lawrence. Featuring approximately 200 objects, it examines the materials and processes artists utilized in relation to the context in which studio ceramics arose and developed in the region.

The exhibition is organized around three sections: Emphasis on Function, which explores utilitarian pottery that blends aesthetics and purpose; a Sculptural Turn, which examines how artists expanded the possibilities of ceramics into the realm of sculpture and inspiration; and Artist Spotlights, highlighting important figures whose legacies have had rippling effects throughout the broader field of ceramic arts in BC. Celebrating ceramic artists, Written in Clay establishes the mentors, interlocuters, societies and schools that made up a vast clay community in the region from the 1930s to the early 2000s.

The title—Written in Clay—refers to the unique marks, stamps or chops artists use to sign their works. It also alludes to the stories behind each object that collectively tell a larger narrative about the artist and the ceramics community in this region. The connections between artists who shared resources including materials, studios, kilns and exhibition space—or techniques such as raku, hakeme and different glazing methods—is articulated through the exhibition design and interpretive material.

This exhibition is accompanied by a publication.