Elemental Journey - An Artist Residency in Japan

In March 2017 British contemporary artist Amanda Chambers travelled to Japan as a recipient of a Daiwa Foundation small grant award. She undertook a one-month residency in ceramics at the Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park in Shiga Prefecture, to develop her growing interest in clay.

This talk, illustrated with images from the residency, highlights some of the key themes that have subsequently emerged in Chambers' works, and it is accompanied by a temporary exhibition of selected ceramic works which were the result of her stay.

Chambers' residency in Japan has led to a three year research and development grant from Arts Council England to explore her work in clay. The artist is currently investigating ideas brought to light from her experience in Japan, including the impact of WW2 on both the human and natural world, and she plans to return to the country in 2018, to further develop her research.

About the artist:

Amanda Chambers is a multi-disciplinary artist. Her work is concerned with our proximity to the past, often exploring archival and historic collections such as the Bodleian Library, Natural History Museum , Britten and Pears Foundation and with Tamsin Little OBE. Her work has been featured in several publications including Ceramic Review. Her experimental, unfired clay installation, Exhume, based on the Syrian crisis was exhibited for the first time in Norway this year. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a member of the Royal West of England Academy of Art in Bristol.

www.amandachambers.co.uk

Image: Shigaraki Teabowl (Made in Japan, Fired in England), 2017, Anagama fired raku clay with wood ash decoration © Amanda Chambers