Celebrating Ceramics

Waterperry Gardens, near Wheatley, Oxford OX33 1LA

Presented by Craft In Focus and Waterperry Gardens

An overview of the 2019 Celebrating Ceramics event held at Waterperry Gardens and organised by Craft In Focus.

Celebrating Ceramics is an artist led event, showcasing the very best in the world of contemporary ceramics. This fine selection of artistic talent is set against the backdrop of Waterperry House and Gardens. The festival gives people an opportunity of understanding the creative talent first-hand with a range of demonstrations, tours and talks by leading ceramic artists.

There is also an amazing range of food, drink and live music.

17 – 19 July 2020

Celebrating Ceramics is an artist led event, showcasing the very best in the world of contemporary ceramics. This fine selection of artistic talent is set against the backdrop of Waterperry House and Gardens. Understand the creative talent first-hand with a range of demonstrations and talks by leading ceramic artists. And there will be an amazing range of food, drink and music to complement your day.

Celebrating Ceramics is organised by Craft In Focus who have been staging contemporary mixed discipline craft events for over 20 years. Part of the organising team includes the curator of the ceramics section of Art in Action for 26 years who has a real passion for ceramics and wanted to keep the festival ethos of Art In Action at the heart of Celebrating Ceramics. The public can now expect an event with the same atmosphere as Art In Action and a loyal following of ceramic artists who want to demonstrate and meet their collecting public at this wonderful three day event.

Celebrating Ceramics will showcase over 100 diverse artists from the world of contemporary ceramics. This fine selection of artistic talent will be set on the lawns that hosted the internationally acclaimed Art In Action for 40 years. Our exhibitor list for 2020 will be published early in the spring.

Marquee and site layoutEmbrace the opportunity to meet, engage with and purchase directly from the artists, and take time to enjoy the exciting range of food, drink and music on offer in the event’s food village.

Experience a guided tour with ceramic artists and collectors to learn about the stories and inspirations behind the work.

A wide range of demonstrations and talks by selected artists will be ongoing during the festival to offer an insight into the creative process. See and hear first-hand from the artists and understand more about the influences that lead to their unique creations, whilst also discovering the latest news within the international ceramics community.

Click on Exhibitors 2020 in the main menu above to view an A-Z listing of the exhibitors for this year. 

A wide range of food and drinks will also be on offer! 

 

Leach Pottery - A century of inspiration and exchange

Special Feature

Leach100 to be part of Celebrating Ceramics 2020

For 2020, Celebrating Ceramics could not be a more apt title as we are delighted to announce that the Leach Pottery will be sharing their Centenary celebrations with us at Waterperry Gardens. Marking 100 years since Bernard Leach and Shoji Hamada set up the pottery in St Ives, the Leach Pottery team will be hosting  a range of activities at our event.

Leach 100 will not only pay homage to the influential legacy of the Leach Pottery but intends to continue its tradition of innovation and creativity to inspire new makers to shape a vibrant and contemporary studio pottery field for current and future generations.  These celebrations, supported by Arts Council England, occur concurrently with the Japanese Season of Culture 2019-2020.

We are privileged to have been selected to host this unique and important celebration.

  • The power of the elements
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Visitor Feedback 2019

  • “Very lovely exhibition. I would come back again. Enjoyable afternoon.”

  • “Very nice atmosphere and beautiful work. High standard and affordable. Very good.”

  • “Great event, very well run and really friendly.”

  • “An inspiring and very enjoyable event – it was great to see so many of the best potters at one event. Thank you.”
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Competition

Make Mine Miniature

Celebrating Ceramics 2019 featured a special exhibition and competition of contemporary ceramics in miniature.

Exhibiting artists made unique miniatures of their work to fit inside a Cone Box (7.6 cm by 7.6cm by 15.2cm). Cones are used to monitor ceramic firings to gauge the temperature inside the kiln to ensure a successful firing.

Entries were judged by the public for technical and aesthetic quality and had to be true to the maker’s style.

Here are the winners from 2019, with just a handful of votes between the three of them:

Simon Griffiths Sculpture first place

Marie Prett second place

Nichola Theakston third place.

Congratulations to all who entered.

All work in the competition was on sale during the festival, with a donation from the sales going to support Adopt A Potter.

2019 winner Simon Griffiths
© Simon Griffiths

How To Find Us

Celebrating Ceramics • 17-19 July 2020
Waterperry Gardens, Oxford OX33 1LA

Public Transport Details

Click here to go the Waterperry Garden Website and the Waterperry Farm Shop

 

 

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Makers shown on this website will not necessarily be exhibiting at all Craft In Focus events.
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