Topographies in Clay

For decades, the artist Jeremy Gardiner has explored the English landscape in his work through layering and abrading the surfaces of his paintings to echo the geological forces that have shaped the earth.

Inspired by the work of ceramic masters Francisco Brennand and Querubim Lapa, he has embarked on an ambitious new body of work: Topographies in Clay, created in collaboration with Suzana Barros and Vera Teotónio at the Oficina do Castelo in Lisbon.

The resulting ceramic plaques depict landscapes of the Jurassic Coast of East Devon and Dorset and the mountains, lakes and waterfalls of the Lake District: both UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Each piece required layers of bespoke glazes and multiple firings, demanding a surrender of the control Gardiner enjoys in his painting practice. The result is something new: paintings transmuted into ceramics of striking nuance and richness.