NOVEMBER 2021
This year has passed remarkably quickly, despite the dreariness of lockdown. We are delighted that the Gallery has been so well visited and we continue to flourish. Our Featured Maker in November – Midori Takaki – will undoubtedly be another reason for visitors to continue to join us.
We pride ourselves on the distinct voices of the many makers that we represent and Midori is truly unique. There are several reasons for this. She has a Japanese heritage that is manifest in nearly every piece of her work, she has an exceptional attention to detail in her ceramic sculpting and one needs to take time to absorb all that her work communicates.
The latter is an important aspect of Midori’s work as she has used ceramics since an early age to express the many thoughts and observations in her head. She originally felt that she wanted to be a writer as the only way of expressing her thoughts, but eventually found ceramics as her vehicle.
She has also said that she was able to bring every nuance and detail of her memories, stories, emotion and thoughts, vividly back to life when she looked at her work. We are indeed fortunate to have her work as she has recently seriously hurt a shoulder and elbow which is somewhat catastrophic for an artist whose handling of the clay is crucial. We wish her well as her injuries recover.
We are also pleased to be showing the work of the winner of our 2015 Graduate Show – Laura Murphy. Laura works in slip-cast Parian clay, with the aim to create exceptionally thin and translucent pieces. She is inspired by the interactions between light and the beautiful British countryside. She is always trying to convey a sense of optimism within the pieces she creates. Her recent work has evolved from research into Seasonal Affective Disorder and light therapy, focusing on the positive effects natural light can have on the human body, both in terms of physical and emotional well-being. We will be showing excellent examples of both designs.
As always, we will ensure that quality and diversity prevail and make Bevere Gallery the major ceramic and art destination it has become.
Stuart Dickens
Ceramic Curator
