13 August 2019
Multimedia artist and ceramicist Barry Finan will create his most ambitious work to date in the headline AWARD exhibition at British Ceramics Biennial 2019 Festival. The British Ceramics Biennial (BCB) returns to Stoke-on-Trent bringing together more than 300 contemporary artists in a vibrant programme of exhibitions, installations and events taking place in six iconic cultural venues across the city.
AWARD is situated in the China Hall on the former Spode factory site, where it will be presented as the centrepiece oF the British Ceramics Biennial, taking place in Stoke-on-Trent from 7 September to 13 October 2019.
With the support of an Arts Council National Lottery Project Grant and ceramic artist Caroline Tattersall, Finan will create a large-scale site-specific ceramic installation.
Just under six hundred unfired bricks will form a malleable wall, a giant platform for the artist to broadcast personal messages, ambitions and life goals through live inscriptions, or ‘WRRIGHHTINNGSERRSS’, in which he uses repetitive letters to elongate his declarations of personal identity. This artwork will evolve throughout the festival, as his perspective on life and his hopes and dreams are etched into the impermanence of unfired clay.
This flagship exhibition will bring together new work created by 10 innovating ceramic artists competing for the prize, which has been increased to £10,000 to mark BCB’s 10th anniversary. The shortlisted artists are: Adam Buick, Elliott Denny, Barry Anthony Finan, Jessica Harrison, Vicky Lindo and William Brookes, Sam Lucas, Zoe Preece, John Rainey, Irina Razumovskaya and Hannah Tounsend.
‘Venture Arts is delighted to be able to support Barry in this brilliant project. As an organisation that strives to promote and profile the work of learning disabled artists, this represents quite an achievement for us but most of all for Barry. He is an astounding talent and we are immensely grateful to all at BCB for recognising and supporting his ongoing success.’READ THE FULL PRESS RELEASE Find out more about Barry Finan's work HERE
