International Bone China Symposium 2018 exhibition
November 9 – January 5, 2019
Opening in November 9 at 4: p.m.
Exhibited at Ceramic Art Pavilion (Respublikos st. 3, Panevėžys)
Bone china – what is it? Bone china is a material that originated in Great Britain at the end of the 18th century. It was and is still used mostly for the production of dinnerware. The composition of bone china includes approximately 50 percent bone ash, which derives from the bones of cattle. The process of production is very complicated and rather expensive, so bone china is considered an exceptional and luxurious material. More than forty years ago in the Jiesia ceramic factory, a new material – Kaunas bone china – was introduced into production. Later, it influenced the foundation of Kaunas Bone China Symposium.
The ever-changing situation in the art world, with both new technologies and old traditions, inspired a change in the organization of Kaunas symposium. All artists participating in the symposium have interdisciplinary backgrounds and perspectives wider than the traditional field of ceramics: Brian Benfer, an artist who works in the field of ceramics and installation (USA); Nathan Betschart, is an art professor at San Diego Mesa College (USA); Saulius Dirsė, Aida Dirsė (Lithuania); Elize Hiiop (Estonia); Una Mjurka, an artist and a professor at California State University, Fresno (Latvia/USA); Lauris Kilusk, a lecturer at Estonian Art Academy, specializes in 3D printing of ceramics (Estonia); Anthony Stellaccio, an artist, executive director of Studio Potter and a coordinator of international art organization „Artaxis” (USA); Bart Vandeput an artist and a doctoral student at Alto University, his artistic research direction is cognitive ecology, awareness studies, neurobiology, energy and knowledge together with the identity of philosophy (Belgium/ Finland). After getting familiar with the local environment and cultural context, artists create works of bone china specially tailored for the intended exhibition space. The creative process involved three 3D ceramic printers which provided artists with new possibilities for their artistic expression.
Each participant of the symposium has her/his own working methods, and uses different techniques and technologies for realizing their personally and globally centered ideas. During the time of the symposium, participants were asked to take a deeper look at the complex phenomenon of identity. For nearly all the artists this symposium was a first date with bone china. A new, before unknown material, together with its properties and processes, gave artists the chance to take a look at the already common theme of identity from a different angle.
Organizers: VDA Kaunas Faculty, Department of Ceramics and Porcelain. The symposium is also partly funded by: Lithuanian Council of Culture, Kaunas city municipality program „Initiatives for Kaunas”
More information: www.porcelianosimpoziumas.lt , www.facebook.com/porcelianosimpoziumas
Project manager Remigijus Sederevičius