Two New exhibitions Capture Emotions in Clay

Story | Iris Yim    Photography | Vancouver Art Gallery, Iris Yim

Two concurrent ceramic exhibitions—Otani Workshop: Monsters in My Head and Written in Clay: From the John David Lawrence Collection—are now on view at the Vancouver Art Gallery. From functional wares to fantastical forms, visitors are taken on a journey through time and space, uncovering stories through clay.

Otani Workshop: Monsters in My Head

This immersive exhibition draws inspiration from Japanese ceramicist and painter Shigeru Otani’s creative process, incorporating natural materials collected from local parks and forests. Otani was born in Shiga Prefecture near Shigaraki, one of Japan’s oldest pottery centres. He seeks to awaken deep human emotions, such as childhood wonder, dreams, solitude and euphoria. He believes ceramic art is not merely a craft but an extension of the body and spirit.

Upon entering the first gallery, visitors are transported into an environment evocative of nature, with soft shadows, the sounds of insects and birds, and the earthy scent of soil and herbs. The space is transformed into a woodland scene reminiscent of Burnaby’s Deer Lake. Scattered throughout are ceramic creatures, including rabbits, bears, children, caterpillars with doll-like faces, the aquatic figure Tanilla and a giant skull.

These works were created in 2023 during Otani’s six-week artist residency at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts. Using locally sourced clay and glazes, Otani was inspired by the lush natural surroundings of Deer Lake Park.

Although the exhibition is titled Monsters in My Head, the creatures Otani images are far from frightening. Rather, they are imbued with innocence and charm. His hand-built figures have rough, tactile surfaces, visible brush marks and whimsical or endearing expressions. They exude vitality, offering a glimpse into the artist’s perception of the world through a lens of fearless child-like insight. The works reflect Otani’s personal exploration of human emotion and spirit.

Otani’s art carries viewers from everyday reality into a realm of imagination. For the artist, this is about exploring the connection between the real world and the one he creates.

Written in Clay: From the John David Lawrence Collection

Written in Clay features nearly 200 works from the private collection of John David Lawrence, a collector and antiques dealer who has assembled more than 1,500 ceramic works from British Columbia. The exhibition presents a chronological narrative, tracing the development of the province’s studio ceramics from the 1930s to the early 2000s.

The title refers to the distinctive marks or stamps that artists use to sign their work, hinting at the individual stories behind each piece. The exhibition offers insight into the rise of ceramic studios, key teachers and movements, and the ways artists shared resources, such as materials, kilns and studio spaces. Raku, hakeme and various glazing methods are also explored.

Organised into three sections—“Emphasis on Function,” “A Sculptural Turn” and “Artist Spotlights”—the exhibition examines how artists balanced aesthetics and utility, pushing the medium into abstract and expressive forms. It also pays tribute to key figures in the reshaping of BC’s ceramic community.