Elemental Journey – An Artist Residency in Japan

In March 2017 British contemporary artist Amanda Chambers travelled to Japan as a recipient of a Daiwa Foundation small grant award. She undertook a one-month residency in ceramics at the Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park in Shiga Prefecture, to develop her growing interest in clay.

Visiting Japan for the first time, the artist blogged daily to document her observations of Japanese life and the impact of this experience on her work. In her own words, the residency was an intravenous experience – quickly allowing her to get into the cultural blood stream, while retaining all the benefits of being a visitor.

This talk, illustrated with images from the residency, highlighted some of the key themes that subsequently emerged in Chambers’ works, and it was accompanied by a temporary exhibition of selected ceramic works which were the result of her stay.

Chambers’ residency in Japan has led to a three year research and development grant from Arts Council England to explore her work in clay. The artist is currently investigating ideas brought to light from her experience in Japan, including the impact of WW2 on both the human and natural world, and she plans to return to the country in 2018, to further develop her research.

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