Inspiring, Eccentric And Beautiful Pottery Star In New Canterbury Museum Exhibition

A diverse collection of inspiring, eccentric and beautiful pottery from the 1960s to the present day star in Form & Fire opening at Canterbury Museum at CoCA on 20 September.

This celebration of Canterbury pottery features more than 160 artworks from the Museum’s collection and is on display for a limited time. The show includes an electric blue nuclear mushroom cloud from the 1990s, masterworks from the 1960s, and pieces by famed Kiwi artists like Doris Holland, who painted under the name Doris Lusk. Doris was a pioneer New Zealand studio potter and a foundation member of the New Zealand Society of Potters. She taught pottery in Christchurch from 1947.

Other exhibition highlights include works by international grand masters like Bernard Leach from the United Kingdom and Shōji Hamada of Japan, along with beautiful pieces by New Zealand artists like Margaret Ryley, Yvonne Rust, Wyn Reed and David Brokenshire, many of which have not been seen on public display for decades.

Canterbury Museum Associate Curator Human History, Frances Husband, says Form & Fire offers a panoramic view of local pottery across six decades.

“It is amazing to see all the artworks displayed side by side,’’ she says.

“The variety of different styles on display is astounding. It is fascinating to see the styles change over the years and a local identity being produced, shifting away from English and Japanese influences into a unique New Zealand identity. In the 90s you can see lots of bold bright colours whereas now there’s more of a shift to textures and a connection back to the earth that harks back to the 1960s.”

Pottery has soared in popularity since the pandemic, with long waiting lists for classes. It has been popularised by celebrity potters like Seth Rogen and Brad Pitt. Canterbury Potters Association vice president Ngarita Wight says people want to return to making things by hand.

“Prior to and since Covid we’ve had a huge number of people wanting to learn pottery,” she says. “People want to have a connection with making things, whether it is hand building or throwing on the wheel. Playing with clay can also get you into a zone of not thinking about anything else except what you are creating.”

Christchurch artist Margaret Ryley, who has five of her artworks in the exhibition, is still making pottery in her 90s.

“I can’t resist it. It beats gardening,’’ says Margaret. “I still feel inspired by things like looking at the hills on a train journey from Picton to Christchurch and seeing the way the grass rolls on the hills and the sea moves. Things like that stir your imagination. When we had snow last month that inspired an idea. I have in mind a big dish with swirls of snow and clouds and streaks of blue sky.”

Museum Tumuaki | Director Anthony Wright, says the exhibition is the product of a long relationship between the Museum and the Canterbury Potters Association. The Museum has hosted the group’s annual sale shows since 1991 and has acquired work from Canterbury potters since the 1960s.

“This beautiful and diverse exhibition is the legacy of that relationship,” he says. “The Museum is proud of the association and excited to share a stunning collection of pottery borne from this partnership of more than 60 years.”

Later in the exhibition, the Canterbury Potters Association will hold its annual sale show of artworks by its members. The CPA show, with all the works on sale, will be held inside the exhibition from 6 to 24 November. This will give visitors a chance to buy a beautiful piece of pottery to take home.

Form & Fire runs at Canterbury Museum at CoCA from 20 September to 24 November, 9.00 am to 5.00 pm. Free entry; donations appreciated.

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