Since 'Bricks in the Rain' my energies have been channelled on producing new work for 2 major Irish exhibitions. The first being 'CULTURECRAFT', in Derry/Londonderry as part of the UK city of Culture calendar. For this I developed the chair forms that had so enamoured me in Fuping, but interpreted a more personal response by reflecting on the chair that belonged to my maternal grandmother. This was a vernacular piece of country furniture from the turn of the century and resulted in a piece of work that was much bolder and larger in scale than the work made in China.
The other challenge I faced was for the show 'FIGURE' at the Millennium Court Arts Centre in Portadown October 2013. This group exhibition of 7 ceramic artists was curated by Michael Robinson, and was reviewed in Ceramic review (issue 264). My work used simple press moulded elements to suggest representation of the figure as opposed to the more literal interpretations chosen by Robinson from the other makers. This was an opportunity to continue with the exploitation of surface quality and unglazed clay body that was one of the major elements of the work I made in China'
Neil Read says: 'At the moment I have three pieces in the Ceramics Ireland juried show at the Pierce Museum in Dublin and early next year will be involved an exhibition at the National Crafts Gallery in Kilkenny. That exhibition is the second showing of 'Culturecraft' which opened this Autumn in the London Street Gallery in Derry as part of its City of Culture celebrations. It was opened by President Higgins (see photo).
My piece for the Derry show deals with the culture that changed for my family in Pettigo, Donegal where my great grandfather was Post Master. The family lived in the village from 1610. British all their life, partition meant they found themselves in the Irish Free State. They had to leave "in a great hurry" under threat in 1922. The stamps document the life of my family and the post office as they changed from British to British with an Irish over print to Free State.'
You can read more about Neil's work at www.neilreadceramics.com.
