Past Exhibitions

The Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery is pleased to present works from its collection as part of A Bestiary. From the beginning of time, the animal world has found its way into the art of humankind in various ways. Animals, fish and birds are, for some, the embodiment of deities; for others they act as metaphors for life experiences. In this exhibition, we look at ceramic, glass and enamel artists who explore the animal world metaphorically, symbolically, with humour and with technical mastery to highlight human concerns and emotions.

The exhibition includes works by: Ardmore Ceramic  Art (South Africa), Rick Ayotte, Baccarat (France), Harold Balazs, Roman Bartkiw, Ann Beam, Carl Beam, Florence Chik-Lau, Daniel Crichton, Ed Drahanchuk, Joe Fafard, David Gilhooly, Jim Hong Louie, Věra Lišková, Janet Macpherson, Leo Mol, Joni Moriyama, Julie Oakes, Orient and Flume Studio (USA), Matthias Ostermann, Perthshire (Scotland), Ann Roberts, Michael Robinson, Ed Roman, Maurice Savoie, Jamie Sherman, Nick Sikkuark, Natalie Silverstein, Steve Smith, Leigh Smith, Paul Stankard, Tim Storey, Jack Sures, Joan Van Damme, Wendy Walgate and Ruth Welsh.

A catalogue for this exhibition is available in the Gallery Gift Shop. 

A Remembering: star stories and waterbodies, represents a creative partnership between artist Shawna Redskye and curator Chloe Blair.

“The exhibition will focus on the experiences of displacement, colonization and navigation that are shared by so many. As we continue to face displacement from our ancestral lands, it is our water bodies, our languages, our food systems, and the stars that continue to hold the sacred role of navigation.

There are many forms of displacement; geographical, cultural, spiritual. Ongoing colonial violence is just that; active displacement of ourselves from our ancestral lands, our bodies, our ways of knowing. All of which are explored in this body of work.

For more information about the Winifred Shantz Award for Ceramics, its sponsor, and previous winners, click here.

The Gallery is pleased to present an exhibition of the ceramic work of artist Joon Hee Kim in the John A. Pollock Family Courtyard.

It is said that the human body is a living vessel. Joon Hee Kim’s work consists of sculptural ceramics that reflect her interpretation of the human form as a vessel. Her work moves the ordinary into symbolic archetype, reconciling tradition from her culture to become a measure of human experience.  She tackles the idea of beauty and joy by juxtaposing classical art and historical heritage with contemporary concerns. She thus creates multiple viewpoints within a global context.

Joon Hee Kim is a Canadian artist originally from Seoul, Korea. She studied Design and Patisserie, then Ceramics at Sheridan College, continuing her practice at Chelsea College of Arts in London U.K., where she received the Cecil Lewis Sculpture Scholarship and an MA in Fine Arts.  Her work has been exhibited in Canada, U.S.A, and the U.K.. After receiving a Canada Council for the Arts grant, she was accepted to the Shigaraki Ceramic Residency in Japan. She had her first solo exhibition at the Art Gallery of Burlington in the summer of 2018. Joon Hee recently completed a residency at the Center for Ceramics, Zentrum für Keramik, in Berlin, Germany this year.

Ann Beam, Anong Migwans Beam, Carl Beam, Michael Robinson, Nick Sikkuark, Darlene Smith, Leigh Smith, Steve Smith

The Gallery is pleased to present a selection of works by Indigenous artists from the collection. The exhibition opened on June 19 in time to celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21.

In this collaborative exhibition, artists Nicholas Crombach and Nurielle Stern explore subject matter derived from the complex, problematic and often mythologized human relationship to the natural world. The centerpiece of their exhibition is Whale Fall, a large sculptural work consisting of an assemblage of furniture and added ceramic components. The work alludes to a decaying whale carcass, providing a visceral visual metaphor for accumulation, loss and the passage of time. 

The artists acknowledge the support of the Ontario Arts Council.

Curated by Sheila McMath and Grace Nickel

PJ Anderson, Gayle Buzzi, Grace Han, Terry Hildebrand, Monica Mercedes Martinez, Alana MacDougall, Chris Pancoe, Mary Stankevicius, Peter Tittenberger

The works in En Route focus on contemporary sculpture, installation and performance in ceramics and glass by nine emerging artists with connections to the University of Manitoba. Curators Sheila McMath and Grace Nickel showcase the level of experimentation that is a vital part of contemporary ceramics and glass practice. Artists in this exhibition explore varied themes including identity, colonization, psychology and urbanization and how these themes are linked to ceramic and glass history.

This exhibition is in partnership with the School of Art, University of Manitoba.

Guest Curated by Jonathan Smith

Harlan House, Diane Nasr O’Young, Kayo O’Young. An extension of the exhibition features the work of Magdolene Dykstra.

When we speak of porcelain, one of the last images to come to mind is that of landscape.  Especially after years of the hand crafted pot, reminiscent of Bernard Leach, one is more likely to think brown and round. But for centuries, the ceramic world was populated with objects bearing bright images of recognizable decoration that added beauty and meaning to what would otherwise be ordinary, everyday chattel.  From the time of the Group of Seven, who wished to instigate a truly Canadian art, it should come as no surprise that Canadian ceramic artists would incorporate the theme of landscape – from rolling geological features to patterns of water, from wind driven rain and waves – as an inspiration for their work. 

Harlan House, Diane Nasr O’Young, and Kayo O’Young each have a different take on their muse that incorporates where they live, but also personal autobiographical details that drive their visions.  Harlan House, born in Vancouver but raised in Calgary, lives in an 1840‘s old stage coach inn on hard rock farmland north of Picton, Ontario.  His garden and his world travels often meet in his sometimes gentle, sometimes politically pointed work.  Diane Nasr O’Young  and Kayo O’Young live on two acres of land snuggled up against the eastern branch of the Humber River, north of Kleinburg, Ontario.  Nasr, born and raised in Trinidad, creates work that is inspired by the lush and fantastical flora and fauna of her childhood.  O’Young carries with him memories of the classic sumi ink drawings of his native China with their veils of colour tinged with the dense woodlands that once surrounded his Ontario house and inspired the work of Tom Thomson. 

This exhibition brings together three different visions, each one personalized, but each rooted in the places, past and present, that inspire them.

Magdolene Dykstra’s Seated Figure (2015), at first suggests a day at the beach, one hundred years ago. This figure is clothed in what appears to be a bathing costume and cap, with only her feet, hands and face exposed. The suggestion of times past, a day at the seaside when life was simpler and time spent in innocent pastimes were the norm, is the first thought that comes to mind. However, the look on the sculpture’s face, the sidelong glance, is telling. One can have an opinion on the interpretation but while the image suggests several scenarios, there is no clear conclusion.

The first glance at the work evokes a nostalgic feeling and a warmth that is seductive – it feels comfortable. Perhaps that is all that is wanted and/or needed. But a longer look questions the element of nostalgia, for nostalgia is a longing for past time or condition that cannot be recovered or perhaps never existed. While evocation and nostalgia are similar, they both are a reminder of the past, and of the two, evocation is the more powerful, as it leads to a more potent understanding of the connection between things and ideas.

The Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery is pleased to partner with the Art Gallery of Burlington for this exhibition.

Earthborn is an annual, juried exhibition of works by members of the Waterloo Potters’ Workshop. Established in 1968, WPW is located in Waterloo Park and occupies the historic Jacob Eby farmhouse, which functions as a work/learn space for members and a teaching facility for the public.

This year’s juror is Bruce Cochrane. He is an internationally acclaimed ceramic artist and recently retired Professor Emeritus of Ceramics at Sheridan College, where he worked for more than 30 years. During this time, he was instrumental in developing the Ceramic Program’s reputation as one of the best in Canada. Bruce’s studies began at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design and continued in Alfred, New York at the New York State College of Ceramics where he received his Masters of Fine Art. Since his graduation in 1978 Bruce has participated in over 300 exhibitions, and shares his knowledge through lectures and workshops throughout North America. His work can be found in the permanent collections of the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art in Toronto, Victoria and Albert Museum in London, England and the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Ottawa to name a few. Bruce resides in Toronto and maintains his studio practice in Grey Highlands, Ontario.

Exhibition coordinated by David Correa and Yesul Elly Cho

Cutting edge 3D printing technology and ancient materials come together to create innovative architectural solutions. University of Waterloo graduate students from the School of Architecture were challenged to consider how clay, a material that has been used in building for thousands of years, can be used to make new and innovative building construction systems.

With both beauty and performance in mind, each group set up to explore how this highly used building material can be re-invented for the future. While employing their design skills, the students also had to learn about different types of clay, pottery, brick production and 3D printing techniques. Using a state-of-the-art large volume 3D printer and direction from Assistant Professor David Correa, the students worked in groups of three to develop their own vision of what 3DP clay can do as a building component.

In partnership with the Brain Injury Association of Waterloo-Wellington, the Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery is pleased to feature the ceramic works of Toronto artist Kanika Gupta. Gupta’s experience of working with clay has mirrored her personal journey of finding her way, following a brain injury that abruptly disrupted her life.