COLLECT 2022 at Somerset House
It is a huge honour to exhibit at this year’s Collect Art Fair with specialist ceramics gallery, Thrown Contemporary.
Story telling is a common theme throughout my works, each composition is made up of moving parts which act like ceramic toys within vesesels. I invite you to look and play with the objects which can balance, interlock and change the stories in different ways.
New works include the dangling acrobats (top image) in my piece, the Human Circus. There is a huge gathering of swimmers, who try to take a dip in The Popularity of Wild Swimming (bottom image), and look out for the tiny gardening tools in An English Glasshouse (middle image). I hope you can come and explore my series of installations too. No More Grey Skies is a continuation on from my project Ghost Town Britain for the British Ceramics Biennial last year.
Photography by Michael Harvey.
COLLECT 2022, Somerset House, The Strand, London WC2R 1LA
Enquiries to www.throwncontemporary.co.uk
GUEST POTTER WORKSHOP at The Ceramic Studio
6 - 10 November 2023
I am looking forward to teaching at this 5 day intensive workshop later in 2023. Students will have the opportunity to hand build simple objects in porcelain clay and explore my techniques for mark making.
The workshop will be held at The Ceramic Studio in Brenchley (Kent), a bright and modern studio situated in a beautiful vineyard location. The workshop includes all necessary materials, tools, refreshments and a superb two-course lunch every day along with a Welcome breakfast on the first day.
To book or for more information, please visit: here
British Ceramics Biennial
In February, the British Ceramics Biennial announced the 10 artists for their headline exhibition, AWARD. I am so thrilled to be a nominee in this years show alongside a sterling line up of ceramic artists. It is set in the magnificent expanse of the China Hall on the former Spode Factory site and will launch in September 2021.
It is known as “a showcase for ground-breaking and progressive practice, capturing the breadth and dynamism of artists engaging with clay today. It is an opportunity for ambition, and for new ideas to be explored and presented in a truly remarkable and historic location.” - Alun Graves Senior Curator of the V&A.
For me, it is a dream come true. An amazing opportunity to work on a large scale project - self directed, documenting the world around me, using clay to tell my story.
Learn more about my exhibition here.
Helen Beard: A Sense of Place
Thrown Contemporary will be reopening their doors to visitors just in time for my solo show this June.
Gallery director Claire Pearce enthuses, “Filling our space with Helen’s fresh and often humorous observations, ‘A Sense Of Place’ is a celebration of what makes a place. All captured on porcelain and paper, from the architecture to the characters that live there - something perhaps we have all been missing over the last two months. While Londoners will find pleasure in moments of recognition, this is a collection that everyone will be able to connect with - moments of stopping to watch the world go by at its very best.
Much of this work was created during the recent months of lockdown. These pieces explore the change in mood and the slower pace of life as crowded streets thinned and trees dominated the urban landscape. Contemplative moments on the allotment, the bathing ponds on the Heath still and sombre without swimmers, the quiet elegance of empty streets. These pieces contrast with familiar market and swimmer scenes to create a contemplation of our sense of place, a celebration of scenes old and new.
The exhibition features as part of this year's Highgate Festival. There will be a digital private view on Saturday 20th June at 5pm, including a personal tour of the exhibition by Helen. RSVP via the gallery link here to receive the Zoom link and reminder.
A Sense of Place, a solo show. 19th June - 5th July 2020 @ Thrown Contemporary, Highgate, London
Beautiful and Useful
We are looking forward to this new one day designer-maker event at the Garden Museum.
We will be showcasing a selection of our new bone china Dailyware pieces, together with one-off garden illustrations.
Sun 17th November 10:30am - 5 pm
£5 advance, £6 on the door. Free for Garden Museum Friends. Includes entry to the whole museum (usually £10)
Garden Museum
5 Lambeth Palace Road
London SE1 7LB
New Bone China DAILYWARE Collection
Pop-Up @ 67 York St Marylebone London W1H 1QB
Come and see the new bone china DAILYWARE range, pieces to make the everyday special.
October 3rd-5th, 11am-5pm daily
The new collection will be available to purchase, alongside Helen’s larger one-off ceramics and original illustrations.