Sharbani Das Gupta, “Unwritten Taxonomies,” 2021, raw clay, stoneware, paper, found objects.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, there will be no opening reception, and instead, we will have a closing reception on April 16. The closing reception will be held at the Williamson Gallery, featuring live music and light refreshments, from 7 to 9 pm. Our events are free and open to the public. Per Scripps protocol, kindly wear your masks inside the Gallery.
Moving beyond conventional categories and genres, the 77th Scripps College Ceramic Annual ignites a new contemplation on the ceramics world. The longest ongoing exhibition of contemporary ceramics in the nation will open on February 5 and continue through April 17. Participating artists include Ebitenyefa Baralaye, Sharbani Das Gupta, Nicki Green, Julia Haft-Candell, Kahlil Robert Irving, Anabel Juárez, David Katz, Sahar Khoury, Nathan Lynch, Annabeth Rosen, Nicole Seisler, Anna Sew Hoy, and Linda Sormin. Each artist works with ceramic as a primary material. All are sculptors whose perseverance, constant reinvention, and innovative, sometimes radical approaches to form and process have made them a source of inspiration not only for a younger generation, but also for their peers.
This exhibition is guest curated by artist Ashwini Bhat. It is Bhat’s curatorial intent that “with clay as at least one of their mediums, the 77th Scripps Annual artists are re-envisioning the possibilities for this, the most ancient artistic material. Their intuitive and thoughtful practices thrive on adding new vocabulary and syntax to the clay lexicon.” A range of approaches and materials came together to create works that include raw and fired clay, paper, concrete, paint, wire, wood, textile, sculpture, drawing, and performance. This exhibition features an illustrated catalog with an essay by writer Leah Ollman.
Our sincere gratitude is extended towards those who have supported this exhibition and the Williamson Gallery. Most notably, the Pasadena Art Alliance, which made this and many previous Ceramic Annual catalogs possible. Special thanks also go to private donors who supported the catalog, including Julianne and David Armstrong, Bill and Francine Baker, Kirk and Dana Delman, David Furman, Susan and Brent Maire, Diane and Igal Silber, and Skutt Ceramic Products, Inc. At Scripps, we are grateful for assistance from the Lincoln Ceramic Annual Fund, Lincoln Ceramic Study Center Fund, and the Paul Soldner Endowment. Finally, we thank the Williamson Gallery’s Advisory Council, Interim Dean of Faculty Gretchen Edwards-Gilbert, Interim President Amy Marcus-Newhall, and the Trustees of Scripps College.