County Hall Pottery’s latest group exhibition uses ceramics and metalwork to explore undergrowth – both as a biological system and a metaphor for unseen forces shaping our world. Undergrowth opens to the public 13 January, following a private view on Monday 12 January, 6-9pm.
Curated by Royal College of Art alumni Elizabeth Jackson and Emily Stapleton-Jefferis, the show brings together seven artists working in clay and metal: Jo Pearl, Lisa Hellrup, Meichen Chen, Mingshu Li, Raphael Emine, Safia Hijos and Sisse Holst Pedersen. The works are arranged as a multi-dimensional, tactile installation.
Mingshu Li explores the unpredictability of clay, using a clay extruder to create tubular forms shaped by the material’s own resistance. As clay passes through the tool, air bubbles burst and leave traces of their movement on the surface.
Lisa Hellrup works with delicate, thin-edged ceramic forms featuring soft folds and subtle surface variations in muted greens, creams and earth tones. The hollow forms vary subtly in size, shape and glaze, evoking fallen seeds or botanical specimens.
Undergrowth will be running at County Hall Pottery from 13 January to 8 March, open Sundays to Tuesdays, 11am-6pm.
