Conceptual Ceramics
Saturday 10th May 4:00 pm
How do you show and sell contemporary ceramics that don’t fit the traditional pottery mould? Juliana Cavaliero from Cavaliero Finn, Marijke Varrall-Jones from Maak Contemporary Ceramics and ceramic artist Phoebe Cummings discuss the relationship between artist, gallery and auction house with journalist and curator Corinne Julius. They explore the cycle of how an artist who creates contemporary pieces collaborates with a gallery to present their work in unique ways, how the artists chosen and prices set by the auction houses impacts the galleries and how this in turn affects the wider ceramics market and the work created by artists.
Juliana Cavaliero has over 30 years’ experience in the art world. Before setting up Cavaliero Finn in 2004 with her business partner and university friend Debra Finn, she worked for several leading commercial galleries. Cavaliero Finn is renowned for its carefully curated portfolio of expertly crafted objects and award-winning fine art from some of Britain’s leading contemporary artists. The gallery has an exceptional reputation for showcasing the finest works from emerging, mid-career and established contemporary artists and makers.
Marijke Varrall-Jones is the founding director of Maak Contemporary Ceramics. She has worked in the fine-art auction industry for over 20 years. With an early interest in 20th century design and decorative arts fostered during her time working at Sotheby’s, Marijke focused her speciality on studio ceramics from 2004, when she joined the Contemporary Ceramics department at Bonhams. She founded Maak in 2009.
Phoebe Cummings creates intricate sculptures and installations using unfired clay. She studied Three-dimensional Crafts at the University of Brighton before completing an MA in Ceramics & Glass at the Royal College of Art in 2005. She has undertaken a number of artist residencies including six months at the V&A in 2010. She was the winner of the British Ceramics Biennial Award in 2011 and the inaugural winner of the Woman’s Hour Craft Prize in 2017. She is Research Associate at the Ceramics Research Centre – UK, University of Westminster.
Corinne Julius is a freelance journalist, critic, broadcaster and curator, with a special interest in contemporary craft and design. She is the founder-curator of one of the country’s major contemporary craft shows, Future Heritage. She was made an Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Art in 2008 for services to design and craft. Corinne was a reporter and producer on BBC Radio’s Woman’s Hour, made features for Radio 4 and contributes to the arts programme, Front Row. She writes for a number of magazines including Ceramic Review.