Artwork SetoMonogatari 9 - From Sunderand to Seto selected for The Graduates exhibition, National Glass Centre, University of Sunderland, 31 Jan-31 July 2026.

Abstract

This piece is part of an ongoing series informed by art-archaeological research undertaken at abandoned manufacturing sites in Seto, Japan – once the centre of Japan’s post-war ceramic figurine industry. SetoMonogatari is a portmanteau formed from setomono, the historical term for pottery made in Seto, and monogatari, meaning story. Through a process of bricolage, this work explores material, memory and place, reflecting upon this fragile industrial heritage. It also embodies the artist’s own journey and development as a ceramicist over the last 15 years