Matthew Blakely

Ceramic Landscapes

March 28 - May 7, 2015

Matthew Blakely. Ragged Dish, celadon porcelain, diam, 29 cm

British-born Matthew Blakely emigrated to Australia in 1988, where he studied ceramics and graduated with a medal from the National School of Art in Sydney. He quickly made a name for himself for his porcelain work, with its rich celadon blue-green glazes that evoke the fresh, vivid purity of the Australian sea. In 2002, he returned to the UK and set up a new studio where he built three kilns, including a wood-fired one where he made all his pieces. Gradually, his work represents the personal development of an understanding and close connection with the landscapes of Britain. Indeed, Matthew Blakely creates his own works from rocks, earth and ashes collected in different parts of England. In this respect, Blakely's approach to investigating cover can be likened to that of Daniel de Montmollin in France.

Matthew Blakely in Connaissance des Arts

Evoking a contemporary way of life that increasingly distances us from the Earth's physical features, and the danger of losing our connection to and dependence on it, Matthew Blakely has embarked on a ceramic approach that proposes a new way of looking at the landscape around us, its history and our relationship with it. On often simple forms that allow the decoration to draw all the attention, the variation of colors seems infinite and underlines the uniqueness of each work. In 2011, Matthew Blakely's work won an award from the prestigious Arts Council England in London. Galerie de l'Ancienne Poste is devoting its first solo exhibition to him in France.