Edmund de Waal and Axel Salto: Playing with Fire - at The Hepworth, Wakefield
This was the exhibition I really wanted to see. I've only recently been alerted to Edmund de Waal, as I've been reading a delightful memoir by Nigel Slater: 'A Thousand Feasts', in which he talks about his own collection of Edmund de Waal ceramics.
Edmund de Waal (b 1964, Nottingham) is a British contemporary artist, potter and writer known for his large scale installations of porcelain vessels. This exhibition at the Hepworth is his homage to and collaboration with the acclaimed Danish ceramicist, Axel Salto (1889–1961). It's (apparently) the first major exhibition of Salto's work and displays pieces by both artists that kind of dance around each other in a very beguiling fashion.
These photos show some of Edmund de Waal's small ceramic vessels, beautifully delicate and imperfect pieces in the thinnest and finest material, lifted by subtle glazes, barely discernible embossed writing and some metallic, gilded embellishments.
The more I looked, the more beautiful I found them. Their delicacy is belied by the fact that fired porcelain is actually quite a strong material.
I was reminded of a couple of pots that I have at home that are precious to me. Oddly enough, my daughter and granddaughter made these once when we visited The Hepworth and had a play in their craft room. These are unglazed clay but there is an echo between the works, I think.
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