Enduring and Enigmatic: The Work of Thomas Kakinuma, Debra E. Sloan

Thomas Kakinuma’s story runs parallel to the mayhem of global events unfolding during the 20^th Century. He arrived in Vancouver in 1937 at the onset of the Sino-Japanese war. As WWII broke out, he moved across the continent to attend art colleges in Toronto, then New York, and, with the advent of McCarthyism, he returned to Vancouver in 1950.  From that time his humanistic and assessable ceramic practice has remained in the public and the curatorial lines of vision.

Bill Rennie, His Realms and Havens , Architectural Marvels Realized in Clay, Debra E. Sloan

Bill Rennie was a Vancouver based artist/ Activist whose practice spanned from 1976 until his death in 2015. He was a multifaceted character whose elaborate ceramic architectural constructs speak both to his aesthetic ad his activist objectives. He was a defender of the arts and a voluble and effective advocate for gender rights. His social contributions and his remarkable architectural sculptures remain unsung. This book is intended to share his story across Canada and beyond.

Playing With Fire: Ceramics of the Extraordinary, Carol E. Mayer
Publication to accompany an exhibition held at The Museum of Anthropology at UBC, Vancouver, BC, November 22, 2019 – March 29, 2020.
Museum of Anthropology, 2020. The Museum of Anthropology (MOA) at UBC presents the thought-provoking exhibition, Playing with Fire: Ceramics of the Extraordinary, on display from November 22, 2019 to March 29, 2020. Showcasing a group of 11 highly celebrated BC-based artists, this premiere exhibition of ceramic works, expresses strong opinions on urgent social issues.

Made of Clay, 1998, an award winning book, compiled by Linda Doherty, published by the Potters Guild of BC, and distributed by Douglas and McIntyre in 1998. It is a survey of ceramists in BC, with essays by Carol E. Mayer and Jane Matthews.

The PGBC 50th Anniversary catalogue, Transformations – Ceramics, 2005, published by the Burnaby Art Gallery, documenting the 50th Anniversary Exhibition of the Potters Guild of BC at the Burnaby Art Gallery. Curator Carol E Mayer assisted by Darrin Martins, curator of the Burnaby Art Gallery; jurors, Carol E Mayer and Hiro Urakami.
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Transitions of a Still Life: Ceramic Work by Tam Irving, jointly published by the Burnaby Art Gallery and Anvil Press in 2007. Written by Carol E. Mayer and photographed by Ken Mayer. This book embraces ceramics as a visual art through a thoughtful survey of one of BC’s most respected and beloved potters.

Seeking the Nuance: Glaze experiments of the 60s and 70s from the Ceramics Studio at UBC, Second Edition, 2017, by Glenn Lewis, Phyllis Schwartz and Debra Sloan. The Second Edition includes more in-depth historical information and news of outcomes from the First Edition. [sold out] The second edition includes a discussion of the Leach/Mingei philosophy, which continues to influence many studio practices in British Columbia. 60 pages, new images, and 33 glaze recipes.

Up on the Roof: The Role of Equestrian Ridge Tiles as Historical Narrative and Architectural Embellishment, first ed 2017; second ed. 2018, by Debra Sloan; Research and Insights by Peter Smith

Up On the Roof explores traditional equestrian clay ridge tiles that from the Middle Ages adorned rooflines in Britain and Europe. The practice died out by the early 1800s, and now those last and rare remnants are found mainly in West Country museums. Up on the Roof recounts how Bernard Leach and fellow members of the Old Cornwall Society revived the tradition in the 1920s. Over the last decades memories faded once again, until, in 2014, the Leach Pottery instigated research and response. These tiles reveal a role for art in the public realm to instill interaction and engagement.

The Ceramic Art of Thomas Kakinuma, Debra E. Sloan and Carol E. Mayer, West Vancouver Museum, 2017. Published in conjunction with The Ceramic Art of Thomas Kakinuma exhibition, curated by Darrin Morrison, West Vancouver Museum, January 24 – March 10, 2018. Front Cover: Peacock, T Kakinuma, 1963
“The Ceramic Art of Thomas Kakinuma is the first solo exhibition featuring Kakinuma’s work since 1969. Kakinuma was an acknowledged contributor to the dynamic Modernist art scene in Vancouver; his work was exhibited Canada-wide and awarded internationally. Kakinuma was also a beloved teacher at the UBC Ceramic Huts and within the Lower Mainland.” D. Sloan
“Thomas Kakinuma taught pottery at UBC from 1956 to 1960, and 1965- 1969. His own work included sculpture, functional ware , decorative vases and small animal figures . . . the paucity of documentation is surprising considering Kakinuma’s contributions to the larger story of how UBC alongside the Vancouver School of Art served as the foundation for the development of British Columbia ceramics.” C.E Mayer. See a full transcript of the Kakinuma story by Debra Sloan