Predrag Šiđanin //

Edmund de Waal (Nottingham, 1964), a British ceramicist and art historian, former professor at the University of Westminster, will exhibit at the renowned Max Hetzler Gallery in Berlin, at Potsdamer Strasse 77-87, from June 14 to August 10, 2024. De Waal is known for his work in porcelain and ceramics, and his pieces are exhibited worldwide, featuring in private collections and the holdings and exhibitions of the most famous museums globally. De Waal is also the author of several books and the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions.

De Waal is known for his installations of porcelain vessels, often inspired by collections and archives or the history of a specific location, through which he explores themes of diaspora, memory, and materiality. An example of his artistic engagement is the exhibition „Signs & Wonders“ at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London in 2009, where he presented an installation consisting of a circular red aluminum shelf, raised high into the dome on the fourth floor. The shelf displays 425 porcelain vessels, the artist’s response to the V&A’s ceramics collection, spanning various periods from Chinese and 18th-century European ceramics to Bauhaus and Constructivist ceramics.

Edmund de Waal uses objects in his visual art as carriers of emotions, human destinies, and history. His works represent a visual lyrical narration created through rhythm and repetition of light and shadow.

In one of Max Hetzler’s two Berlin galleries, De Waal has exhibited three groups of works: monumental ceramic sculptures/vessels created during a residency at a workshop in Denmark, a cubic wooden installation in the form of a pavilion for the Japanese tea ceremony, and meticulous small-format porcelain works placed in black, white, and oak wooden boxes.

The black monumental ceramic vessels/objects and the pavilion named „There Are Still Songs to Sing Beyond Mankind“ were created by the artist for the first time in 2024. Despite their differences in size and material, all the works radiate emotion and intimacy. Some words or quotes from the poems of Denise Riley (1948), Paul Celan (1920–1970), and Rainer Maria Rilke (1875–1926) appear in the titles or are inscribed on the surfaces of these works.

De Waal’s focus is on the emotional meanings of selected poetry. The „Tea Pavilion“ is inspired by the artist’s memories of his stays in Japan and his study of sadō, the Japanese tea ceremony. The aesthetic purity, strong forms, and emotional power of this De Waal exhibition lie in the correlation of the exhibited works and their dialogue with history, literature, and context. The exhibition is titled „Letters Home,“ through it, De Waal provides visitors a place for pause and contemplation. As the artist says, the letters home are his attempt to feel „the breath of separation and the pulse of connection.“