Teapot by Richard Wilson.
This month, a vibrant collection of teapots and other works in clay – all created by members of the Craft Potters Association – are heading east to appear in a “Best of British Making” exhibition in Yixing, China. A collaboration between the CPA and two Yixing ceramics associations, the event is part of the 10th Yixing International Ceramic Art Festival, from the 18th until the end of October.
Featuring 32 works by 26 leading UK makers, the exhibition celebrates the teapot – a vessel central to each region’s ceramics history and identity.
The 20 teapots on display showcase the wide-ranging potential of the traditional vessel. They range from precise conventional forms to imaginative silhouettes and feature a broad spectrum of surface techniques, from richly layered glazes to intricate illustrations.
Teapots by (across and down, from top/left): Jeremy Nichols, Ikuko Iwamoto, John Jelfs, John Wheeldon, Chris Keenan and Geoffrey Swindell.
The other 12 ceramics in the collection, both functional and sculptural in nature, further reveal the creative diversity and excellence of current British ceramic practice.
The CPA is delighted to organise this exhibition in partnership with its Yixing hosts, and the event is the first in an ongoing collaboration. The CPA plans to host a show featuring Chinese ceramics in London in 2021.
“CPA members have, from the very earliest days, exhibited their work and participated in conferences and workshops around the world,” says Jeremy Nichols, Chairman of the CPA, “and at an institutional level we have grown to have international perspectives and reach as well. I see this project as further developing this tradition.”
Exhibiting Makers
Teapots
Terry Bell-Hughes
Lowri Davies
Patia Davis
Ikuko Iwamoto
John Jelfs
Walter Keeler
Chris Keenan
Jeremy Nichols
Stephen Parry
Geoffrey Swindell
Ruthanne Tudball
James & Tilla Waters
John Wheeldon
Richard Wilson
General works
Peter Beard
Kyra Cane
Carolyn Genders
Ruth King
Gabriele Koch
Anna Lambert
Jitka Palmer
Duncan Ross
Lara Scobie
Patricia Shone
Fiona Thompson
Chris Turrell-Watts