The Vancouver Art Gallery Presents Ceramic Exhibitions

The Vancouver Art Gallery Presents Ceramic Exhibitions

The Vancouver Art Gallery Presents Two Major Ceramic Exhibitions This Spring

Written in Clay: From the John David Lawrence Collection and Otani Workshop: Monsters in My Head celebrate ceramic art across time and place

MAY 23, 2025, VANCOUVER, BC // Traditional Coast Salish Lands including the Musqueam (xʷməθkʷəy̓əm), Squamish (Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw) and Tsleil-Waututh (səl̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ) Nations.

This spring, the Vancouver Art Gallery is proud to present two bold new exhibitions that celebrate the imaginative and enduring power of clay. Opening May 25, 2025, Written in Clay: From the John David Lawrence Collection invites visitors to explore the rich ceramic traditions of British Columbia while Otani Workshop: Monsters in My Head offers an immersive journey into the world of one of Japan’s most exciting contemporary artists.

“We are excited to present a season devoted to clay—one that we hope will inspire visitors to engage with the medium’s layered history,” says Eva Respini, Interim Co-CEO and Curator at Large at the Vancouver Art Gallery. “Together, these two exhibitions celebrate clay not only as a medium but as a vessel of memory, imagination and community. We are deeply grateful to our many collaborators, supporters and partners who have made these exhibitions possible.”

Featuring nearly 200 ceramic works, Written in Clay traces the history of studio ceramics in British Columbia from the 1930s to the early 2000s through the extraordinary collection of John David Lawrence—a long-time Vancouver resident, musician, activist, collector and the owner of DODA ANTIQUES. Over four decades, Lawrence has built close relationships with local artists and gathered a vast collection of objects that reflects the diversity and evolution of ceramic production across the province. His collection is not only extensive but intimately lived with; every piece in the exhibition has been on display in his home, reflecting his personal commitment to and deep respect for the medium and its makers.

Organized into three thematic sections—“Emphasis on Function”, “A Sculptural Turn” and “Artist Spotlights”—the exhibition traces the evolution of BC’s clay community from a focus on functional wares to more experimental approaches that expanded the possibilities of the medium. “Artist Spotlights” highlights the work of eight influential artists including Wayne Ngan, celebrated ceramicist and educator, and Charmian Johnson who is well-known for the elegance and simplicity of her functional wares. The exhibition explores influences ranging from Scandinavian utilitarianism and Japanese Raku to the studio pottery movement inspired by Bernard Leach and Shoji Hamada.

The title Written in Clay refers both to the personal marks, stamps and chops that ceramicists use to sign their work and to the stories embedded in each object—stories that collectively trace the development of a regional movement and the community that sustained it. Celebrating ceramic artists, Written in Clay highlights the critical role of mentors, interlocuters, societies and schools in shaping and preserving BC’s ceramic heritage. Featured artists include Mollie Carter, Axel Ebring, Michael Henry, Glenn Lewis, Santo Mignosa and Laura Wee Láy Láq, among others. At the end of the exhibition, visitors will encounter a family-friendly space where they are invited to relax, explore ceramic objects at special touch stations and read books about clay.

Written in Clay: From the John David Lawrence Collection and Otani Workshop: Monsters in My Head are curated by Diana Freundl, Interim Director of Collections & Senior Curator. “Whether tracing the significant legacy of BC’s studio pottery or wandering through Otani Workshop’s mythical dreamscapes, these exhibitions invite us to consider how clay holds stories, histories and imagined futures. It’s been an honour to work with John and Otani on these exhibitions and I’m excited to share these deeply personal and richly layered worlds with our audiences.”

On the east side of the Gallery, Otani Workshop: Monsters in My Head introduces audiences to the fantastical world of Japanese ceramic artist Otani Workshop. This marks the artist’s first ever solo museum exhibition. Born in 1980 in Shiga Prefecture, in a town near to Shigaraki—one of Japan’s oldest and most storied pottery centres—Otani has emerged as a leading figure in contemporary ceramics. Otani Workshop: Monsters in My Head traces Otani’s artistic journey, offering a window into his deeply personal and imaginative practice. The exhibition provides insight into the mythical figures and contemporary imagery that characterize his works, featuring new paintings inspired by personal memories, alongside hand-built figurative and abstract ceramic sculptures—ranging in scale from intimate to monumental.

Otani’s sculptures are formed by hand, and bear wildly varied surfaces—cracked, rough, polished or smooth—evoking a sense of both traditional and contemporary making. Many of the artist’s works were created during an extended residency at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts in Burnaby, using natural materials foraged from local parks and forests. Presented within a labyrinth-like installation, viewers are immersed between tradition and innovation, landscape and fantasy.

For more information, please visit: https://www.vanartgallery.bc.ca/upcoming-exhibitions

Written in Clay: From the John David Lawrence Collection and Otani Workshop: Monsters in My Head are on view at the Vancouver Art Gallery from May 25 to November 9, 2025. The exhibition openings will be celebrated at Art Party on Saturday, May 24, 2025, 8 PM–12 AM.

Written in Clay: From the John David Lawrence Collection is organized by the Vancouver Art Gallery and curated by Diana Freundl, Interim Director of Collections & Senior Curator, Michael J. Prokopow, Independent Curator, and Stephanie Rebick, Interim Director of Exhibitions & Publishing with Andrea Valentine-Lewis, Curatorial Assistant.

The exhibition is accompanied by a richly illustrated catalogue, titled The Place of Objects, available for purchase in the Gallery Store. The volume celebrates John David Lawrence’s eclectic and expansive collection—spanning ceramics, Indigenous art, jewellery, folk art, photography and plant life—with contributions from curators, artists, writers, scholars and friends. Through the stories of some of these pieces and of Lawrence himself, The Place of Objects reveals a kaleidoscopic portrait of the many and diverse talents working in and around BC’s art scene over the past forty years.

Otani Workshop: Monsters in My Head is organized by the Vancouver Art Gallery as an initiative of the Centre for Global Asias and curated by Diana Freundl, Interim Director of Collections & Senior Curator.

The Gallery store will feature exclusive limited edition Otani Workshop: Monsters in My Head merchandise including t-shirts, hoodies, toques, and tote bags—each featuring a hand-drawn design by the artist. The exhibition is also accompanied by Monsters in My Head, a playful children’s book written and illustrated by Otani Workshop that takes readers on an imaginative journey through the artist’s early fears, curiosities and creative beginnings. Tracing his path from childhood dreamer to acclaimed ceramicist, it features eleven original paintings and handwritten text in both English and Japanese. Explore the merchandise here:

https://shop.vanartgallery.bc.ca/collections/monsters-in-my-head