ALL ROADS LEAD TO CERAMICS!

I have recently been posting comments about the struggle of the studio ceramist to survive in the modern world particularly in competition with inexpensive Chinese imports.

However, as Samuel Beckett writes in the voice of Pozzo in Waiting for Godot :

"The tears of the world are a constant quantity. For each one who begins to weep somewhere else another stops."

The Gyeonggi International Ceramics Biennale 2011 in Korea is the Olympics of Ceramics. There is a seriousness and reverence for ceramics in that culture which is quite extraordinary.

1875 artists from 71 countries submitted 3362 entries for selection of which only 160 entries were chosen. The selection panel constituted highly regarded academics and others from the ceramic world.

From Africa 9 entries were selected, 5 of which were from South Africa. I am thrilled to be one of the 5! This image is a set of beakers entitled African Spring which is my submission.

I am extremely happy to know that ceramics is alive and flourishing in some quarters and hope that their slogan 'All roads lead to ceramics' will permeate the consciousness of all consumers!

Check out the website for a magnificent programme of events and exhibitions.