Julian Stair (1955 − )
Julian Stair was born in 1955 in Bristol, England.. He studied ceramics at Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts from 1974-1978 and at the Royal College of Art from 1978-1981. His early pots were domestic in scale and use, tea and coffee wares, often in sets, in matte unglazed stoneware with subdued colours and minimal decoration. This sophisticated Modernist take on everyday ceramics has been replaced by more dramatic, larger and archaic-looking works.
He kept this choice of clay body and colours in later works based on funerary artefacts, sarcophagi and funerary jars, but extended his scale, using industrial kilns to fire works up to 5 feet long for Extended Inhumation (2004-5). He sees these pieces as a natural extension of his domestic wares:
Like pots sustaining the body in life through the containment of food and drink, this funerary ware contains the body in death and underlines the profoundly somatic characteristics of pottery.
Stair is also interested in theory of ceramics production and consumption. He returned to the RCA as a student and completed a theoretical PhD entitled 'Critical Writing on English Studio Pottery 1910-1940' in 2002
He has exhibited internationally for over 25 years. His work can be seen in public collections including the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, the American Museum of Art & Design and Hong Kong Museum of Art
Julian Stair was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in and was a Trustee of the Crafts Council (2000-2008) and Trustee for Contemporary Applied Arts, London (1997-2003).
In 2008 he took part in the Cape Farewell Artic exhibition with 39 other artists and musicians (a href=http://www.capefarewell.com>www.capefarewell.com.
Glossary (4)
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Ceramics
Clay based products produced from non-metallic material and fired at high temperature. The term covers all objects made of fired clay, including earthenware, porcelain, stoneware and terra cotta.
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Contemporary
Existing or coming into being at the same period; of today or of the present. The term that designates art being made today.
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Design
The arrangement of elements or details in an artefact or a work of art.
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Stoneware
One of the three major types of pottery, the others being earthenware and porcelain. A buff, gray or brown clay is mixed with other clays and ceramic materials to make a heavy, opaque, highly plastic clay body that is fired at a high temperature - above 1200ºC. It is in between earthenware and porcelain in its character. The term stoneware also refers to the clay body and objects made from it.
Past exhibitions
EVERYTHING BUT ...
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2008
- Bermuda, Devonshire, Kaleidoscope Arts Foundation, Elliot Gallery
- Bermuda, Hamilton, Xl Foundation
- Bermuda, Hamilton, Bermuda Society of Arts, Edinburgh Gallery
EVERYTHING BUT... CONTEMPORARY BRITISH KITCHENWARE
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2006
- Ireland, Letterkenny Arts Centre
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2005
- Kazakhstan, Almaty, State Museum Of Fine Arts
- Korea, Changeup International Craft Biennale 2005
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2004
- Indonesia, Jakarta, Aksara Prodak
- Indonesia, Bandung, Selasar Sunaryo Art Space
- Thailand, Queen Sikrit's National Convention
- Thailand, Bangkok, British Council Office - Bangkok
- Sri Lanka, Colombo, Barefoot Gallery
- Singapore, Esplanade
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2003
- Oman, Muscat, Al Harthy Complex
TIME FOR TEA
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2001
- Poland, Poznan, Centrum Kultury Zamek
- Poland, Krakow, BWA Gallery
- Poland, Lodz, Museum Sztuki
- Romania, Constanta, Constanta Art Museum
- Romania, Buchrest, Cotroceni Palace
- Romania, Sinaia, Peles Castle
- Estonia, Rakvere Linnagaleri
- Estonia, Tallinn, Linnagalerii
- Lithuania, Vilnius, Centre Of Contemporary Art
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2000
- Kazakhstan, Almaty, State Museum Of Fine Arts
- Singapore, British Council Gallery
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1999
- Malaysia, Penang, Penang State Museum And Art Gallery
- Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, National Art Gallery
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1998
- Peru, Arequipa, Centro Cultural Chaves De La Rosa
- Mexico, Mexico City, British Council Office - Mexico City
- Colombia, Bogota, Deimos Gallery
- Bolivia, La Paz, Museo Nacional De Arte
- Peru, Trujillo, Banco Wiese
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1997
- Peru, Lima, Museo De La Nacion
- Brazil, Sao Paulo, Brasilian Society For Japanese Culture
- Brazil, Belo Horizonte, Banco De Desenvolviment O De Minas Gerais
- Brazil, Sao Paulo, Brasileira Sao Paulo
- Brazil, Blumenau, Cultura Inglesa
- Brazil, Curitiba, Cultura Inglesa
- Brazil, Museu Da Republica
- Brazil, Brasilia, Cultura Inglesa
DISH OF THE DAY
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2002
- Colombia, Bogota, Museum Of Artsanias De Colombia
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2001
- Mexico, Monterrey, Museo De Arte Contemporaneo De Monterrey
- Mexico, Mexico City, Centro Cultural/Arte Contemporaneo
- Venezuela, Caracas, Fundacion Corp Group Centre Cultural
- Brazil, Recife, British Council Office - Recife
- Brazil, Curitiba, Cultura Inglesa
- Brazil, Brasilia, British Council Office - Brasilia
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2000
- Kazakhstan, Almaty, State Museum Of Fine Arts
- Romania, Sibiu, Museum Brukenthal
- Romania, Bucharest, National Theatre Galleries
- Austria, Vienna, Residence Of British Ambassador
- Czech Republic, Prague, British Council Office - Prague
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1999
- Czech Republic, Pribam
- Poland, Museum Miejskie
- Poland, Warsaw, Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Arts
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1997
- Belgium, Classic VI
