Ceramics at Harbourfront: Resident Artist Exhibition Series

Presented as part of the Harbourfront Centre Craft & Design Program, three exhibitions showcase diverse approaches and contemporary concerns explored by resident ceramic artists. Through distinct bodies of work, the artists investigate relationships between material, place, identity, and form.

From Keenan O’Toole‘s map-inspired ceramic compositions that examine our experience of space and play, to Marina Van Raay‘s maximalist explorations of play and experimentation, and Nilou Ghaemi‘s sculptural reflections on culture and belonging, each exhibition highlights the depth and breadth of contemporary ceramic practice. Together, these exhibitions demonstrate how artists-in-residence use clay as a medium for inquiry, storytelling, and personal expression.

‘Swallowed Whole’
By Nilou Ghaemi

A series of ceramic sculptures exploring the tensions of navigating between cultures and ways of belonging.

Ghaemi utilizes a multidisciplinary approach: drawn elements and photographs of the subjects are digitally manipulated and serve as a scaffold for the surface treatment of the work. Experimental processes are a driving force within her practice, pushing clay beyond its expected boundaries.

Find out more: https://harbourfrontcentre.com/event/swallowed-whole/

‘Mapping Notes’
By Keenan O’Toole

Ceramic compositions inspired by maps and architectural fragments, examining how we experience space and play.

O’Toole’s practice explores form, colour and scale through traditional ceramic building methods. She engages in a cyclical process of translating structural references into both two- and three-dimensional compositions, utilizing abstraction to explore how physical frameworks influence perception, memory and movement.

Find out more: https://harbourfrontcentre.com/event/mapping-notes/

‘Motto Motto’
By Marina Van Raay

A ceramic exhibition that embraces maximalism, exploring the tension between harmony and experimentation.

Van Raay explores the cultural experiences that have shaped her life, focusing on themes of nostalgia, identity and memory. The language, culture and emotions tied to those experiences have shaped her perspective, prompting her to explore her upbringing through an adult lens and translate those memories into her ceramics.

Find out more: https://harbourfrontcentre.com/event/motto-motto/