Project Type: PAST

04
May
2017
MADE IN CHINA : The New Export Ware

MADE IN CHINA : The New Export Ware

MADE IN CHINA

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OCTOBER 18–NOVEMBER 16


Featuring works by Robin Best, Caroline Cheng, Sin-ying Ho, Paul Scott, Robert Silverman, and Vipoo Srivilasa

1315 MASS MoCA Way
NORTH ADAMS, MA

OPENING RECEPTION + GALLERY TALK
Saturday, October 18, 2014, 5-7

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DECEMBER 2–7

Featuring works by Julie Bartholomew, Caroline Cheng, Sin-ying Ho, Garth Johnson, Paul Mathieu, Paul Scott, Robert Silverman, and Vipoo Srivilasa

Midtown/Wynwood District NE 1st Avenue @ NE 34th Street 
Miami, Florida

MEET THE ARTISTS
Friday, December 5     BOOTH #125
Sin-ying Ho: 11:30–1 with artist talk at 1:00
Robert Silverman: 1–2:30 with artist talk at 2:00
Leslie Ferrin & artists talk at 3:00

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JANUARY 21–25
Featuring works by Julie Bartholomew, Caroline Cheng, Sam Chung, Future Retrieval (Katie Parker & Guy Michael Davis), Sin-ying Ho, Garth Johnson, Paul Mathieu, Paul Scott, Robert Silverman, and Vipoo Srivilasa

321 East 73rd Street
NEW YORK, NY

ARTIST & CURATOR LECTURES
Friday, January 23, 2015

12 noon Paul Scott
Duchess, Dogs, Detroit, Dragons, Handles and Cherrypickers: Re-Animating the Transferware Archives of an Industry with Paul Scott, Artist, Author and Researcher and Professor at the Oslo National Academy of the Arts Norway. Followed by a book signing of Scott’s new book, Horizon, Transferware and Contemporary Ceramics

2 p.m. Leslie Ferrin
Made in China: New Export-ware from Jingdezhen
with Leslie Ferrin, Director Ferrin Contemporary.

4 p.m. Garth Johnson
I’m So Fancy: Young Artists Take On Historical Ceramics
with Garth Johnson, Curator of the Arizona State University Ceramics Research Center and Director-at-Large of the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA).

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MADE IN CHINA is a curated series of exhibitions and talks, examines the contemporary, ceramic-centric exchange between eastern and western artists and markets.

JULIE BARTHOLOMEW

Julie Bartholomew, “Rarely Seen, Drummond’s Cronostylis” 2013, porcelain, silver decals, 2.5 x 3.5”.
Julie Bartholomew, “Rarely Seen, Blue Tinsel Lily” 2013, porcelain, copper red glaze, decals, 1.5 x 3.5″.

ROBIN BEST

Robin Best, “The Florida Vases” 2014, porcelain, onglaze ‘xin cai’ painting, 10.5 x 6.25″.
Robin Best, “The Florida Vases” detail, 2014, porcelain, onglaze ‘xin cai’ painting, 10.5 x 6.25″.

CAROLINE CHENG

Caroline Cheng, “Prosperity V” 2007, porcelain, fabric, 71 x 71″.
Caroline Cheng, “Prosperity V” detail, 2007, porcelain, fabric, 71 x 71″.

SIN-YING HO

Sin-ying Ho, left: “One World, Many Peoples No. 2″ (77 x 23.25”) and right: “Temptation – Life of Goods No. 2″ (68 x 23.5”) 2010, porcelain, cobalt pigment, underglaze, decal, glaze.
Sin-ying Ho, “Temptation – Life of Goods No. 2″ detail, 2010, porcelain, cobalt pigment, underglaze, decal, glaze, 68 x 23.5”.

GARTH JOHNSON

Garth Johnson, “The Shar-pei Immortals” detail, 2010, porcelain, 11.5 x 6.5 x 6.5”.
Garth Johnson, “Made in China 1” 2010, porcelain.

PAUL MATHIEU

Paul Mathieu, “Kiss Bowl”, Porcelain, Jingdezhen, China, 5.5″ x 7″ x 5.5″
Paul Mathieu, “Kiss Bowl (Male + Female)”, top detail, Porcelain, Jingdezhen, China, 5.5″ x 7″ x 5.5″

PAUL SCOTT

Paul Scott, “Cumbrian Blue(s), Garden No: 2 (after Turner and Stephenson) 2014, Staffordshire transferware with Chinese porcelain, gold leaf, tile cement, epoxy resin, 12.5 x 10.25”.
Paul Scott, “Cumbrian Blue(s), Wil low” detail, 2014, Staffordshire transferware collage, gold leaf, tile cement, epoxy resin, 12.5 x 10″.

ROBERT SILVERMAN

Bobby Silverman, “Decision Before Action” 2011, clay, commercial tile, 36 x 28 x 1/2″.
Bobby Silverman, “Beauty, 2nd Half, porcelain, glaze.

VIPOO SRIVILASA

Vipoo Srivilasa, “The Patience Flower” 2014, Jingdezhen super white porcelain, 10 x 6.6″.
Vipoo Srivilasa, “The Patience Flower” 2014, Jingdezhen super white porcelain, 10 x 6.6″.
MADE IN CHINA reveals a dynamic relationship — with appropriation and collaboration occurring in both directions.

Marked by ever-increasing cross-cultural collaboration, this contemporary ceramics movement emerging from China is urging a re-definition of today’s export ware. With increasing frequency, western artists are traveling to China to produce ceramic work using traditional Chinese methods. Exhibitions in the United States, Australia, and Europe are bringing forward a new generation of export ware. In the summer of 2014, Leslie Ferrin travelled to Hong Kong, Chongqing, Jindezhen, and Shanghai to explore this growing cultural exchange. She participated in and lectured at workshops, visited galleries and museums, and toured studios where western artists work in collaboration with skilled Chinese artisans.

In this exhibition, Ferrin brings together work that reveals the essential aspects of contemporary ceramics currently coming out of China.

“After my visit to China, it was clear that this growing movement of western artists engaging with Chinese artisans to provide works for international markets was urging a contemporary re-definition of export ware. It is a dynamic relationship with appropriation and collaboration occurring in both directions, and we are fortunate that we will be able to truly explore the relationship, multiple exhibitions over the coming year.”– Leslie Ferrin

ABOUT MADE IN CHINA 

Inspired by her recent travels in China, MADE IN CHINA  is curated by Ferrin Contemporary Director Leslie Ferrin. See images from Ferrin’s travels below or click here for the full gallery on scene + seen.

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See all #chinainchina2014 images on scene + seen

Sponsored as a guest lecturer by the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute, Ferrin traveled to China in June and July 2014 with the aim of gaining a greater understanding of the cross-cultural collaboration, production, and appropriation occurring in the New Export Ware movement. During her visit, Ferrin visited ceramic workshops in Jingdezhen and Chongqing, where – similar to the historical model of export ware – skilled Chinese artisans, produce contemporary works for Western markets under the direction of visiting Western artists.

“After my visit to China, it was clear that this growing movement of Western artists engaging with Chinese artisans to provide works for international markets was urging a contemporary re-definition of export-ware,” says Ferrin. “It is a dynamic relationship with appropriation and collaboration occurring in both directions, and we are fortunate that we will be able to truly explore the relationship, with multiple exhibitions over the coming year.”

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about MADE IN CHINA events, artists, and available works.

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PRESS RELEASE

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Click here to read Blouin Art Info article on Made in China.

04
May
2017
A CLAY BESTIARY

A CLAY BESTIARY

ABOUT THE EXHIBITION

September 27, 2014—January 4, 2015
Hunterdon Art Museum, Clinton, NJ

This ceramics exhibition focuses on the animal kingdom, offering visitors the opportunity to see real and imaginary creatures of all shapes and sizes in fresh and unique ways. The works chosen are not ‘”literal” representations or depictions of animals, but artists’ concepts and interpretations.

This group show includes the work of Ferrin Contemporary artists Jason Walker, Red Weldon Sandlin, and Sergei Isupov.

EVENTS

September 28, 2pm
Artist talk with Garth Johnson

Sergei Isupov, “Strong” 2011, porcelain, slip, glaze, 14.5 x 7.5 x 7.5″.
Garth Johnson, “The Shar-pei Immortals” 2010, porcelain, 11.5 x 6.5 x 6.5”.
Jason Walker, “City Animal: Squirrel” 2008, porcelain, underglaze, luster, 17 x 10 x 4″.
Sergei Isupov, “Future” 2011, porcelain, slip, glaze, 15.5 x 6 x 8″.
Red Weldon Sandlin, “The Hurtea Gurdy Tales: A Nickel for the Monkey” 2006, ceramic, wood, acrylic paint, 16.5 x 11.5 x 11″, book 1 x 12 x 9″.
Red Weldon Sandlin, “Mystic Caravans of Dragon’s Well… Chapter Four” detail, 2000, clay, wood, acrylic, 18.5 x 13 x 5.5″.
04
May
2017
JASON WALKER: On the River, Down the Road at BAM

JASON WALKER: On the River, Down the Road at BAM

Jason Walker: On the River, Down the Road

October 3, 204–March 1, 2015
Bellevue Arts Museum, Bellevue, WA

A solo show of seven new, large-scale works

Northwest artist Jason Walker is widely celebrated for his skillfully executed ceramic sculpture. Treading a fine line between storytelling and social criticism, Walker’s work explores the human experience as reflected in Nature. His painted porcelain works, often taking the form of wild animals domesticated by industry, are simultaneously thought-provoking and unsettling. Bridging the dichotomous worlds of nature and technology represents, for the artist, “a journey to define for myself what it means to be human in the present time.” On the River, Down the Road is a site-specific installation created by Walker, who will transform the gallery into an enveloping, fantasy-driven world that—through richly detailed narratives and surrealist, apocalyptic imagery—offers an incisive comment on the indelible impact of humanity upon the natural landscape.

Jason Walker Cover

Click here to order the catalog for On the River, Down the Road.

Artwork in this exhibition is available for sale through Ferrin Contemporary.

Please click here to contact us for more information.

For more information and other available works by Jason Walker click here.

Jason Walker is represented by Ferrin Contemporary.

“Jason Walker: On the River, Down the Road” installation exhibition at Bellevue Arts Museum, 2014
Jason Walker, “Redtail” 2014, porcelain, stoneware, underglaze, china paint and concrete, 32 x 64 x 52″.
Jason Walker, “Redtail” 2014, porcelain, stoneware, underglaze, china paint and concrete, 32 x 64 x 52″.
Jason Walker, “Redtail” 2014, porcelain, stoneware, underglaze, china paint and concrete, 32 x 64 x 52″.
Jason Walker, “Mechanized Life: Yucca” 2007, porcelain, 30 x 7 x 7″.
Jason Walker, “Down the Road” installed at Bellevue Arts Museum, 2014, porcelain, underglaze, china paint, 10’x10’x10′.
Jason Walker, “Down the Road” detail, 2014, porcelain, underglaze, china paint, 10’x10’x10′.
Jason Walker, “Down the Road” detail, 2014, porcelain, underglaze, china paint, 10’x10’x10′.
Jason Walker, “Cage Free Capitalism” installed at Bellevue Arts Museum, 2014, stoneware, porcelain, and china paint, 42 x 16 x 16″.
Jason Walker, “Cage Free Capitalism” detail, 2014, stoneware, porcelain, and china paint, 42 x 16 x 16″.
Jason Walker, “Cage Free Capitalism” detail, 2014, stoneware, porcelain, and china paint, 42 x 16 x 16″.
Jason Walker, “Split Down the Middle, but One Always Wants More” 2014, porcelain, stoneware, underglaze, china paint and concrete, 9′ x 6′ x 45″.
Jason Walker, “Split Down the Middle, but One Always Wants More” detail, 2014, porcelain, stoneware, underglaze, china paint and concrete, 9′ x 6′ x 45″.
Jason Walker, “Cascade” 2014, porcelain, stoneware, underglaze, china paint, 10’x10’x10′.
Jason Walker, “Cascade” 2014, porcelain, stoneware, underglaze, china paint, 10’x10’x10′.
Jason Walker, “Cascade” detail, 2014, porcelain, stoneware, underglaze, china paint, 10’x10’x10′.
Jason Walker, “Cascade” detail, 2014, porcelain, stoneware, underglaze, china paint, 10’x10’x10′.
Jason Walker, “Infinite Growth” detail, 2013, porcelain, china paint and glaze, 84 x 36 x 3″.
Jason Walker, “Infinite Growth” 2013, porcelain, china paint and glaze, 84 x 36 x 3″
04
May
2017

THE POTTER’S TALE: Contextualizing 6,000 Years of Ceramics

The Potter’s Tale: Contextualizing 6,000 Years of Ceramics

August 26–May 31, 2015
Mount Holyoke College Art Museum, South Hadley, MA

EVENTS
Thursday, February 19, 2015 at 5:30 pm
A Potter’s Tale: Ceramicist Mark Hewitt in Conversation with Critic Christopher Benfey
Gamble Auditorium, Mount Holyoke College
Reception to follow

Click here for more information on this event.

Through innovation and exchange, clay vessels have contributed to the lives of people across the economic spectrum, through time, and around the world. This exhibition highlights the ceramic collection of the Mount Holyoke College Art Museum, spanning five continents and six thousand years.

Exhibit includes work by Ferrin Contemporary artists Kurt Weiser, Steven Young Lee, Paul Scott, and Sin-ying Ho.

Kurt Weiser, "Pair of Cubist Vases (2)" 2013, porcelain, cobalt pigment, glaze, 23.5 x 12 x 10".KURT WEISER

Steven Young Lee, "Vase with Peonies" 2014, porcelain, cobalt inlay, 26 x 11 x 10".STEVEN YOUNG LEE

Paul Scott, "Cumbrian Blue(s) - A Willow for Ai Weiwei, Wen Tao, Liu Zhenggang, Zhang Jinsong, Hu Mingfen" 2012, in-glaze decals on partially erased Willow Pattern platter (c.1840), 13.75 x 17".PAUL SCOTT

Sin-ying Ho, "In the Dream of Hope No. 1" 2010, porcelain, cobalt, decals, 69 x 18.5". SIN-YING HO

Potters Tale sign
“The Potter’s Tale” at Mount Holyoke College Art Museum
“The Potter’s Tale” at Mount Holyoke College Art Museum
Kurt Weiser work in “The Potter’s Tale” at Mount Holyoke College Art Museum
Kurt Weiser work in “The Potter’s Tale” at Mount Holyoke College Art Museum
Mark Hewitt work in “The Potter’s Tale” at Mount Holyoke College Art Museum
Sin-ying Ho work in “The Potter’s Tale” at Mount Holyoke College Art Museum
Sin-ying Ho work in “The Potter’s Tale” at Mount Holyoke College Art Museum
“The Potter’s Tale” at Mount Holyoke College Art Museum
Steven Young Lee work in “The Potter’s Tale” at Mount Holyoke College Art Museum
04
May
2017
CERAMIC TOP 40 at Harvard University

CERAMIC TOP 40 at Harvard University

CERAMIC TOP 40 | NEW & SELECTED WORKS

May 27–August 16, 2014
Gallery 224, Ceramics Program, Office for the Arts at Harvard
224 Western Avenue, Allston, MA

Curated by Leslie Ferrin, director of Ferrin Contemporary

EVENTS
JUNE 11, 2014
2–5pm Workshop Demonstration by Lauren Mabry
5–6pm Curator Lecture by Leslie Ferrin
6–8pm Opening Reception

Link to Harvard Ceramics for directions and workshop details,

The work in this exhibition was drawn from the CERAMIC TOP 40 | 2013  show held at Red Star Studios – part of Bleger Crane Yard Studios in Kansas City, MO – and includes new work from artists working on the cutting edge of contemporary ceramics who were featured in the show.

The Harvard exhibition combines invited and juried submissions representing a range of conceptual, utilitarian, and sculptural ceramics and seeks to identify artists working on the cutting edge of current processes, ideas, and presentation concepts. Both up-and-coming and established artists who are breaking new ground are included.

Object: Spoon
During a 2013 artist residency at Medalta in Medicine Hat, Canada, Vipoo Srivilasa sought a way to bring fellow artists together. Srivilasa generated a simple and effective mechanism that also celebrated their shared passion for their profession. He invited each resident to make a modest, universal object: a spoon. The resulting series of spoons was shown as a single entry under Srivilasa’s name in Ceramic Top 40.

Inspired by the response and strong sense of collaboration and connections that came from the project, Srivilasa quickly realised the potential of the idea. Upon his return to Australia, he put out an open invitation through his extensive social media networks, asking makers to create spoons and to submit digital images. From these submissions, 25 spoons were selected by Srivilasa, with advice from Vicki Grima, editor of The Journal of Australian Ceramics and Leslie Ferrin, curator of Ceramic Top 40.

The 2014 collection, will be presented as a group in Object: Spoon in the second venue of Ceramic Top 40 | New & Selected Works at Harvard Ceramics in Allston, Massachusetts, USA.

Generated by his basic human need for friendship in a new community, Srivilasa has inspired an international engagement between established and international ceramicists from 16 countries in this collaboration OBJECT: SPOON.

25 spoons from these 2014 finalists will be on exhibit:
Tinne Maria Andersen, Marta Armada, Elaine Bolt, Jim Bov’e, Meredith Brickell, Joey Chiarello, Kris Coad, Rachel Cramer, Sally Curry, Trisha Dean, Carole Epp, Klaus Gutowski, Evan Hobart, Vanessa Holle, Nayoung Im, Sukumarl Leksawat, Steven Low and Thai Kwan, Miro Mackiewicz, Fiona McDonald, Creina Moore, Jo Quirk, Bonnie Smith, Leilani Trinka, Gerry Wedd, Snow Yu

vipoo.com/spoon

Susan Beiner, “Re-Simulation Vase” 2014, porcelain, concrete, 25 x 11 x 11″.
Robin Best, “The Florida Vases” 2014, Xin Cai color, porcelain, 14.5 x 6.5″.
Stephen Bird, “Majolica Shoot Out” 2012, earthenware, pigment, glaze, 15.75 x 19.5″. Courtesy Garis and Hahn Gallery.
Stephen Bird, “Nice Banana”, 2012, clay, pigment, glaze, 10.6″.
Stephen Bird, “What Picasso Called an Erection for the Eyes” 2012, earthenware, pigment, glaze, 11.5 x 8 x 2.5″. Courtesy Garis and Hahn Gallery.
Stephen Bowers, “Explorers’ Skulls” 2010, slip cast, oxide stains, underglaze, 5.25″
Jessica Brandl, “TruckINN” 2014, terracotta, slip, clay, glaze, 9.75 x 8 x 6″.
Mark Cooper, “Yo Yo Harvard” 2014, clay, paper, wood, 54 x 48 x 40″.
Cristina Cordova, “Cabeza I” 2014, ceramic, 8.5 x 8 x 5″
Doda Design: Aya Margulis & Rae’ut Stern, “Web Souvenirs” 2010-2013, earthenware, under glaze, glaze, gold luster, digital print, 148 x 42″.
Michelle Erickson, “Pectin Shell Teapot” 2005, porcelain, jasperware, metallic oxide, underglaze, slip, glaze, gold enamel, 14″.
Michelle Erickson, “Green Squirrel and The Second Amendment Squirrel” 2013, indigenous clay, copper glaze, 8″
Sean Erwin, “Pervert II” 2013, porcelain, glaze, steel, red oak, starched cotton, luster, 13 x 6 x 14″.
Leopold Foulem, “Trio Flower Patch”, 2012, ceramic and found objects, 20 x 15.25 x 8.5″
Future Retrieval, “Lion” 2014, porcelain, decals, 12 x 8″.
Future Retrival, “Alphonso Taft (Still Life) 1 and 2, 2011, porcelain, 12”.
Alessandro Gallo, “Scripta elegans” (tarantula), 2011, clay, acrylics, 15.75 x 13.75 x 13″
Gerit Grimm, “Tango” 2012, stoneware, 26 x 17 x 9″
Rain Harris, “Tumulous” 2014, black clay, nichrome wire, resin, African purple heart wood, 11.5 x 11.5 x 9″.
Giselle Hicks, “Wall Quilt with Floret and Stars” 2014, porcelain, 30 x 30 x 2.5″.
Peter Christian Johnson, “Blue X” 2014, ceramic, 16.5 x 16.5 x 5″.
Brian R. Jones, “Alembic (Letter B)” 2012, earthenware, slips, glaze, plywood, milk paint, 18 x 18 x 3″.
Steven Young Lee, “Vase with Peonies” 2014, porcelain, cobalt inlay, 26 x 11 x 10″.
Steven Young Lee, “Cup Panels” (red), 2013, porcelain, copper inlay, glaze, glass shelving, aluminum, 46 x 50 x 4″
Linda Lighton, “Love and War: The Ammunition” 2014, clay, glaze, platinum and gold lustres, size variable.
Daniel Listwan, “Biohazard Jasperware: Black Basalt Series” 2013, porcelain, tallest is 13″.
Lauren Mabry, “Composition of Enclosed Cylinders”, 2013, red earthenware, slips, glaze, 20 x 17 x 6″
Lauren Mabry, “Cylinder” 2013, red earthenware, slip, glaze, 6 x 8 x 8″.
Lauren Mabry, “Cylinder” 2013, red earthenware, slip, glaze, 6 x 12 x 12″.
Walter McConnell, “Artifact Curry Yellow” 2012, ceramic, glaze, 18 x 24 x 15”.
Sara Moorhouse, “Large Pulse” 2013, earthenware, underglaze, glaze, 18 x 7″
Ron Nagle, “Snuff Bottle” 2013, porcelain, glaze, 6 x 2.5 x 2.5″. (artwork courtesy Jeffrey Spahn Gallery, image courtesy Red Star Studios)
Kate Roberts, “Depression” 2012, porcelain, glaze, slump body, 24 x 13 x 10″.
Stephanie A. Rozene, “Held Hostage: The Politics of Hunger” 2013, porcelain, slip, glaze, iron decals, 5 x 4′ panel.
Michael Schwegmann, “Ball and Chain”, 2013, porcelain, glaze, 9 x 9 x 38″
Michael Schwegmann, “Pain Can” 2014, porcelain, glaze.
Paul Scott, “Scott’s Cumbrian Blue(s), Fukashima” 2013, Inglaze decal collage, gold luster on House of Blue Willow made in Japan plate c. 1820, 8.75 x 12 x 1″.
Richard Shaw, “Blue Willow Tea Set” 2013, porcelain, glaze, 10 x 8 x 8″.
Adam Shiverdecker, “Amphora: Axis Mundi” 2014, porcelain, nichrome, graphite, pencil, acrylic, 17.5 x 6 x 6″.
Bobby Silverman, “4 Versions of Red (1)” 2012, re-fired commercial porcelain tiles, 12 x 12″ each.
Linda Sormin, “List” 2013, ceramic, found materials, 16 x 23 x 15″.
Shawn Spangler, “Ewer and Salt Cellar with Digital Print” 2013, porcelain, acrylic, paper, digital print by Bryan Czibesz, variable size.
From OBJECT: SPOON 2013, Vipoo Srivilasa, “Spoon of Contentment”, 2013, porcelain, 3 x 16 x 7″.
Clare Twomey, “Is It Madness. Is It Beauty.” 2010, video.
Shalene Valenzuela, “Blending In: Over the Top II” 2014, ceramic, 14 x 6 x 5″.
04
May
2017
PROMENADE: New Work by Sergei Isupov

PROMENADE: New Work by Sergei Isupov

ABOUT THE EXHIBITION

March 7–April 22, 2014
Perimeter Gallery, Chicago

A selection of recent works from ceramic artist Sergei Isupov was presented in the lower gallery of the Perimeter Gallery (Chicago, IL). The show was curated by Leslie Ferrin and presented in conjunction with Isupov’s mid-career survey at the Racine Art Museum, Collection Focus: Sergei Isupov, February 23–June 8, 2014.

Isupov transformed the lower gallery into a narrative installation using ceramic sculpture and site-specific painting.  “I consider my sculptures to be a canvas for my paintings. All the plastic, graphic, and painting elements of a piece function as complementary parts of the work.” Born in Stavropol, Russia in 1963, Isupov now lives in Massachusetts and Tallinn, Estonia.

Read more, see more

Sergei Isupov is represented by Ferrin Contemporary.

EVENTS

Friday, March 7 from 5–8pm
Conversation with the Artist

ABOUT SERGEI ISUPOV

Sergei Isupov is an Estonian-American sculptor internationally known for his highly detailed, narrative works. Isupov explores painterly figure-ground relationships, creating surreal sculptures with a complex artistic vocabulary that combines two- and three-dimensional narratives and animal/human hybrids. He works in ceramic using traditional hand building and sculpting techniques to combine surface and form with narrative painting using stains and clear glaze.

“Everything that surrounds and excites me is automatically processed and transformed into an artwork. The essence of my work is not in the medium or the creative process, but in the human beings and their incredible diversity. When I think of myself and my works, I’m not sure I create them, perhaps they create me.”

Isupov has a long international resume with work included in numerous collections and exhibitions, including the National Gallery of Australia, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (TX), Museum of Arts and Design (NY), Racine Art Museum (WI), Museum of Fine Arts Boston (MA), and the Erie Art Museum (PA), at which he presented selected works in a 20-year career survey Hidden Messages in 2017 and Surreal Promenade in 2019 at the Russian Museum of Art (MN).

MORE ON SERGEI ISUPOV

Sergei Isupov, “Promenade” 2014, porcelain, slip, glaze, 55 x 27 x 15″
Sergei Isupov, “Wordless” 2014, porcelain, slip, glaze, 20.5 x 20 x 6.5″
Sergei Isupov, “Farewell to the Theater” 2013, porcelain, slip, glaze, 22.5 x 10 x 7.5″
Sergei Isupov, “Flying in a Dream and in Reality”, 2014, porcelain, slip, glaze, 12 x 16.5 x 11″
Sergei Isupov, “Spark”, 2014, porcelain, slip, glaze, 10.5 x 17 x 7″
Sergei isupov, “We are All from the Sky”, 2014, porcelain, slip, glaze, 15.5 x 11 x 10″
Sergei Isupov, “Offering”, 2014, porcelain, slip, glaze, 11 x 7 x 4″
Sergei Isupov, “Velvet”, 2014, porcelain, slip, glaze, 10.5 x 17 x 7″
Sergei Isupov, “There are No Miracles”, 2014, porcelain, slip, glaze, 16 x 10 x 9.5″
Sergei Isupov, “Elusive” 2014, porcelain, slip, glaze, 18.5 x 13 x 9.5″.
Sergei Isupov, “Anniversaries” 2014, porcelain, slip, glaze, 19 x 11 x 8″
Sergei Isupov, “Make Believe” 2014, porcelain, slip, glaze, 18.5 x 12 x 8″
04
May
2017
HERE AND THERE

HERE AND THERE

ABOUT THE EXHIBITION

June–November 2014
Vallauris Institute of Art
International Biennial of the Vallauris Institute
at the Hôtel de Ville, Vallauris, France

September 2013
HOP Gallery
Tallinn, Estonia

In this new body of work, Sergei Isupov surrounds his sculptural ceramic pieces with painted mural-like environments in site-specific installations.

Sergei Isupov is represented by Ferrin Contemporary. Click here for more information about this artist and works available in the USA.

ABOUT SERGEI ISUPOV

Sergei Isupov is an Estonian-American sculptor internationally known for his highly detailed, narrative works. Isupov explores painterly figure-ground relationships, creating surreal sculptures with a complex artistic vocabulary that combines two- and three-dimensional narratives and animal/human hybrids. He works in ceramic using traditional hand building and sculpting techniques to combine surface and form with narrative painting using stains and clear glaze.

“Everything that surrounds and excites me is automatically processed and transformed into an artwork. The essence of my work is not in the medium or the creative process, but in the human beings and their incredible diversity. When I think of myself and my works, I’m not sure I create them, perhaps they create me.”

Isupov has a long international resume with work included in numerous collections and exhibitions, including the National Gallery of Australia, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (TX), Museum of Arts and Design (NY), Racine Art Museum (WI), Museum of Fine Arts Boston (MA), and the Erie Art Museum (PA), at which he presented selected works in a 20-year career survey Hidden Messages in 2017 and Surreal Promenade in 2019 at the Russian Museum of Art (MN).

MORE ON SERGEI ISUPOV

Sergei Isupov with “Sunshine” and “Bright Image” in Estonia.
Sergei Isupov, “Farewell to the Theater” 2013, porcelain, slip, glaze, 22.5 x 10 x 7.5″
Sergei Isupov, “Flying in a Dream and in Reality”, 2014, porcelain, slip, glaze, 12 x 16.5 x 11″
Sergei Isupov, “Offering”, 2014, porcelain, slip, glaze, 11 x 7 x 4″
Sergei Isupov, “Sunshine”, 2013, 23 x 11.5 x 6″
Sergei Isupov, “Bright Image”, 2013, 3 x 5 x 4.75″
Sergei Isupov, “Adrift”, 2013, 36 x 40 x 12″
Sergei Isupov, “King”, 2013, 30 x 23 x 19″
Sergei Isupov, “Imprint Time”, 2013, 24 x 17 x 18″
Sergei Isupov, “Soaring Power”, 2013, 9 x 6.75 x 4.75″
Sergei Isupov, “Soaring Power”, 2013, 9 x 6.75 x 4.75″
Sergei Isupov installation at “Here and There” in Estonia.
Sergei Isupov, “Ukranian Dance”, 2013, 8 x 7.5 x 5″
Sergei Isupov, “Mediator”, 2013, 9 x 6 x 4″
Sergei Isupov, “Grounding”, 2013, 15 x 10 x 4.5″
Sergei Isupov, “Gravitation”, 2013, 17 x 14 x 8″
Sergei Isupov, “Duck Dance”, 2013, 5 x 3 x 4″
Sergei Isupov, “To Be or Not to Be”, 2013, 5 x 3 x 4″
Sergei Isupov, “Home”, 2013, 6.75 x 6.75 x 8.25″
Sergei Isupov, “Byzantium”, 2013, 16 x 10 x 12″
Sergei Isupov, “The Guild”, 2013, 23 x 11.5 x 6″
Sergei Isupov, “The Peacemaker”, 2013, 14.5 x 8.25 x 8″
Sergei Isupov, “Teacher”, 2013, 7 x 9 x 9″
Sergei Isupov, “Great Work”, 2013, 7 x 7 x 2.5″
04
May
2017
AT YOUR SERVICE: Exploring the Plate as a Site for Cultural Exploration

AT YOUR SERVICE: Exploring the Plate as a Site for Cultural Exploration

AT YOUR SERVICE: Exploring the Plate as a Site for Cultural Exploration

February 5 – May 8, 2016
Houston Center for Contemporary Craft

EVENTS

Saturday, February 6, 4pm
Artist Talks
Houston Center for Contemporary Craft
Houston, TX

Objects of daily use often become intimately important and indispensable to people. Aside from their utility, such objects can be seen as representations of their owners or even extensions of the self. This kind of sentiment applies to a wide range of possible possessions including the seemingly humble and utilitarian plate. In At Your Service ten artists come together to encourage the viewer to consider and question the significance and wider implications of this common household item.

At Your Service is curated by artists Niki Johnson and Amelia Toelke, who have brought their own work together with the work of several other artists with a shared interest in the plate who have inspired them. In addition to the curators, artists featured in the exhibition include: Ariel Brice, Gésine Hackenberg, Molly Hatch, Giselle Hicks, Garth Johnson, Sue Johnson, Emily Loehle, and Caroline Slotte.

About the Artists
Giselle Hicks is an independent artist currently working at Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts in Helena, Montana. Hicks was a resident artist at Project Art in Cummington, Massachusetts 2006–2008. She is represented by Ferrin Contemporary.

Caroline Slotte lives and works in Helsinki, Finland and holds a masters degree from Bergen Academy of Art and Design, Norway. The reworking of second hand objects play a pivotal role in Slotte’s practice. Represented by Ferrin Contemporary in the USA.

Garth Johnson is a studio artist, writer, and educator who lives in Eureka, California. He is a craft activist who explores craft’s influence and relevance in the 21st century.

The original At Your Service exhibition was held at
Bellevue Arts Museum in Bellevue, Washington from February 14, 2014 through September 21, 2014

Caroline Slotte, from the series “Landscape Multiples”, 2013, reworked second-hand ceramics, 20.5 x 16.5 x 2.75″
Caroline Slotte, from the series “Going Blank”, 2010, reworked second-hand ceramics, 10″
Caroline Slotte, from the series “Landscape Multiples”, 2013, reworked second-hand ceramics, 9.75″
Giselle Hicks, “Pattern Language”, 2010, porcelain, terra sigillata, wood, graphite, 36 x 24 x 114″
Giselle Hicks, “Pattern Language” (detail), 2010, porcelain, terra sigillata, wood, graphite, 36 x 24 x 114″
Giselle Hicks, “Pattern Language” (detail), 2010, porcelain, terra sigillata, wood, graphite, 36 x 24 x 114″
Caroline Slotte, “Landscape Multiple (white)” 2009, reworked second-hand ceramics, 2.5 x 13 x 13″.
Garth Johnson, “Manifest Destiny (Currier and Ives – The Village Blacksmith #760)” 2010, Bing & Grondahl limited edition Currier and Ives porcelain plate, decal, 8″.
Garth Johnson, “Manifest Destiny (Currier and Ives – Autumn in New England #759)” 2010, Bing & Grondahl limited edition Currier and Ives porcelain plate, decal, 8″.
Garth Johnson, “Manifest Destiny (Currier and Ives – The Western Farmers Home #756)” 2010, Bing & Grondahl limited edition Currier and Ives porcelain plate, decal, 8″.
04
May
2017
JOHN MICHAEL KOHLER ARTS CENTER 40th ANNIVERSARY

JOHN MICHAEL KOHLER ARTS CENTER 40th ANNIVERSARY

ABOUT THE EXHIBTION

through Aug 31, 2014
John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Sheboygan, WI

In 2014, the Arts Center will commemorate the 40th anniversary of Arts/Industry with an extensive exhibition, a comprehensive book, and educational programming. The project will also highlight the long-term residency program’s importance to artists and the art world.

The residency program has been managed by the John Michael Kohler Arts Center and hosted by Kohler Co. since 1974. Almost 400 artists have used the factory’s industrial materials, equipment, and techniques to create works of art that would have been difficult, if not impossible, to produce in their studios.

Work in the six-month exhibition will be drawn primarily from the collections of the John Michael Kohler Arts Center and Kohler Co. that includes a large body of work created by the resident artists. The exhibition, held at the Sheboygan facility, will open during the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) conference held in Milwaukee from March 19–22, 2014.

Ferrin Contemporary and Ferrin Gallery have been honored to work with several artists who have participated in the Arts/Industry program and offer selected works produced in the program for sale.

Jack Earl
Giselle Hicks
Sergei Isupov

Jack Earl, “CEL 001 Ohio Dog” 1976, vitreous china, 20 x 26 x 14.5″. (Pennington)
Giselle Hicks, “Floral Wave Tiles”, 2012, vitreous china, 80 x 45 x 1.5″
Giselle Hicks, “Floral Wave Tiles” (detail), 2012, vitreous china, 80 x 45 x 1.5″
Sergei Isupov, “Tile House (Man Woman)”, 2003, vitreous china, 86 x 43″
Sergei Isupov, “Girl with Cat (She Soon Comes)”, 2003, vitreous china, 58 x 24 x 3″
Sergei Isupov, “Fourteen Pleasures”, 2003, vitreous china, 43 x 74 x 3″.
Sergei Isupov, “Meteorite” (edition of 3), 2003, vitreous china, 9 x 12 x 3.5″
Sergei Isupov, “Likeness” (edition of 6), 2003, vitreous china, 18 x 12 x 6″
Sergei Isupov, “Figure” (edition of 7), 2003, vitreous china, 38 x 15 x 8″
Sergei Isupov, “Eye” (edition of 3), 2003, viterous china, 7 x 13 x 8.5″
Sergei Isupov, “Ear” (edition of 17), 2003, vitreous china, 13 x 6 x 6″
Sergei Isupov, “To Listen with Half and Ear” (edition of 6), 2003, vitreous china, 6 x 23 x 16″
04
May
2017
RAM COLLECTION FOCUS: Sergei Isupov

RAM COLLECTION FOCUS: Sergei Isupov

ABOUT THE EXHIBITION

February 23 – June 8, 2014
Racine Art Museum, Racine, WI

A mid-career retrospective for an innovative artist who has pushed the possibilities of clay by combining two-dimensional narrative with three-dimensional ceramic form. Isupov explores the human condition. His vocabulary includes human beings and animals, gender, identity, and relationship issues, autobiography, art history, and symbolism.

ABOUT SERGEI ISUPOV

Sergei Isupov is an Estonian-American sculptor internationally known for his highly detailed, narrative works. Isupov explores painterly figure-ground relationships, creating surreal sculptures with a complex artistic vocabulary that combines two- and three-dimensional narratives and animal/human hybrids. He works in ceramic using traditional hand building and sculpting techniques to combine surface and form with narrative painting using stains and clear glaze.

“Everything that surrounds and excites me is automatically processed and transformed into an artwork. The essence of my work is not in the medium or the creative process, but in the human beings and their incredible diversity. When I think of myself and my works, I’m not sure I create them, perhaps they create me.”

Isupov has a long international resume with work included in numerous collections and exhibitions, including the National Gallery of Australia, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (TX), Museum of Arts and Design (NY), Racine Art Museum (WI), Museum of Fine Arts Boston (MA), and the Erie Art Museum (PA), at which he presented selected works in a 20-year career survey Hidden Messages in 2017 and Surreal Promenade in 2019 at the Russian Museum of Art (MN).

MORE ON SERGEI ISUPOV

EVENTS

Free First Friday in March
March 7, 2014, 10:00–5:00

Visitors can enjoy the Racine Art Museum for FREE the first Friday of every month. Located steps from Lake Michigan in downtown Racine, RAM is one of the nation’s most significant craft museums.

Meet The Artist  |  Sergei Isupov
Friday, March 21, 2014, 6-8:30 PM

The reception includes a meet and greet and book signings with Sergei Isupov, light refreshments, and a cash bar. Complimentary admission to NCECA attendees wearing their badge and to RAM members, $10 for all others.

Sergei Isupov, “Ray”, 2009, stoneware, 29″ x 20″ x 17″
Sergei Isupov, “Two Fish”, 2011, porcelain, 16 x 7 x 6″
Sergei Isupov, “Protection”, 1999, porcelain, 10.5 x 16 x 13″
Sergei Isupov, “Thin Line”, 2002, porcelain, 17.5 x 15.5 x 15″
Sergei Isupov, “Way of Thinking, It’s Like That”, 1997, porcelain, 10.5 x 15 x 6.5″
Sergei Isupov, “Passion”, 2005, porcelain, 7.75 x 14 x 3″
Sergei Isupov, “Attitude, Angle of Approach”, 1994-5, porcelain, glaze, stain, 9.5 x 7 x 17.25″
Sergei Isupov, “Balanced Moment”, 1998, porcelain, glaze, stain, 14 x 12 x 14″
Sergei Isupov, “Untitled (teapot), 1994, porcelain, glaze, stain, 5 x 9 x 4”
Sergei Isupov, “The Search” 1996, porcelain, glaze, slip, 5.5 x 9 x 4″. Racine Art Museum, Racine, WI.
Sergei Isupov, “The Delivery”, 1996, porcelain, glaze, stain, 5.5 x 11 x 4″. Collection of Racine Art Museum, Racine, WI.
Sergei Isupov, “Fan the Fire”, 1996, porcelain, glaze, stain, 6.5 x 8 x 4″. Collection of Racine Art Museum, Racine, WI
Sergei Isupov, “Symbol”, 1999, porcelain, glaze, stain, 12.5 x 8.5 x 19″. Collection of Racine Art Museum, Racine, WI.
Sergei Isupov, “Redemption Day”, 1998, porcelain, glaze, stain, 13 x 15 x 6.5″. Collection of Racine Art Museum, Racine, WI.
Sergei Isupov, “Never the Same”, 1997, porcelain, glaze, stain, 16 x 8.5 x 11.5″. Collection of Racine Art Museum, Racine, WI.

NOW AVAILABLE | PRINTS & WORKS ON PAPER

A selection of prints and works on paper are available for sale through the Racine Art Museum and Ferrin Contemporary.

View the complete collection HERE.

Sergei Isupov, “Old Man”, 2008, gouache on paper, 60 x 42″
Sergei Isupov, “Waiting”, 2010, charcoal on paper, 46.5 x 60″
Sergei Isupov, “Complimentary”, 2000, vitreograph, siligraphy, intaglio, image: 8 x 10″, paper: 14 x 16″
Sergei Isupov, “Metamorphosis”, 2004, image: 23.75 x 17.5″, framed: 30 x 22.5″
Sergei Isupov, “Help Your Self”, 2012, copper plate etching on archival paper, 17 x 15.5″

EXHIBITION CATALOG

This scholarly text includes essays on the significance of Sergei Isupov’s work to the ceramic field from Anthony Stellacio, Project Manager and Curatorial Research Specialist, Smithsonian, National Museum of African Art, and Lena Vigna, RAM Curator of Exhibitions. In addition, a conversation between Bruce W. Pepich, RAM Executive Director, and Leslie Ferrin, gallery owner and curator, explores the dynamic, supportive relationship between Ferrin and Isupov.

This 28-page booklet features 25 full-color images of Isupov’s pieces in RAM’s permanent collection.

Published in 2014 by Racine Art Museum, Racine, WI

Essays and images explore the artist and his place at RAM and in the larger universe of art.

• Captured Imagination: The Enigma of Sergei Isupov by Anthony Stellaccio
• Collection Focus: Sergei Isupov at RAM by Lena Vigna
• A Conversation between Leslie Ferrin and Bruce W. Pepich about Sergei Isupov

28-page, full-color exhibition catalog

Purchase the Catalog

Sergei Isupov RAM catalog cover