Artists announced for flagship exhibition in Stoke
Twenty-five artists have been announced for one of the British Ceramics Biennial (BCB) flagship exhibitions.
Fresh is a celebration of the new wave of artists working in clay and the cohort for 2025, has been selected from more than 380 applicants which represents emerging talent from across the UK and Ireland and reflects a wide range of perspectives and ceramic practices.
Also launching as part of BCB is Clay Films, a new strand showcasing the work of six international Global Majority artists working in film and clay.
Together, Fresh and Clay Films signal BCB’s continued commitment to supporting diverse, innovative voices in contemporary ceramics and both exhibitions will be presented as a part of the 2025 British Ceramics Biennial, taking place at Spode Works, Stoke-on-Trent, from 6 September to 19 October.
(Image Kaytea Budd-Brophy supplied by BCB)
Fresh: New voices in contemporary ceramics
Fresh brings critical attention to artists from all over the UK and Ireland at a pivotal moment in their careers. Works ranging from hand-built figurative forms to architectural structures, this year’s emerging talents are united by their ambition to explore ideas, innovate ceramics practice and connect with the physicality of their material.
The 2025 Fresh artists are: Nibras Al-Salman, Ekta Bagri, Camille Biddell, David Bothwell, Laura Bragger, Alan Braidford, Katherine Breaks, Tom Buchanan, Kaytea Budd-Brophy, Grace Carter, Alessandra Centorbi, Hanna Fastrich, Catalin Filip, Nadire Gökmen, Yimou Huang, Fan Ji, Miae Kim, Bahareh Khomeiry, Biba Klico, Myrna Mitchell, Elliot Mountain, Kate O’Neill, Kate Sampson, Ceri Shaw and Olga Siruk.
The 25 artists will be eligible for Fresh Talent Prizes, which will be awarded to four artists during the Biennial. The Fresh Talent Prizes include a range of residency opportunities in partnership with the University of Staffordshire, Guldagergaard International Ceramics Research Center and Grymsdyke Farm.
The Fresh Talent Prize recipients will be invited to develop new work and exhibit at BCB 2027. For this year’s Biennial Fresh is presented in partnership with Ceramic Review.
Clay Films: Clay through the lens of moving image
In its inaugural edition, Clay Films showcases the work of six Global Majority artists of African and Caribbean heritage from all over the world. Selected via international open call, they are: Majid Asadi (Iran) for Brother’s Horn; Gibrán Furlán (Mexico) for Hearth; Ilias Khlifat (Morocco) for Liquid; Valentina Alvarado Matos (Spain) for arrojalatierra (throwtheground); Marius van Rensburg, in collaboration with Southern Guild Gallery (South Africa) for iThongo featuring Andile Dyalvane; and Tomisin Sarumi (USA) for Departing.
With work ranging from stop motion animation to moving image – Clay Films reflects the rich and expanding ways that artists are exploring clay through film.
The programme gives a rare platform for a practice that sits at the intersection of ceramics and film, and which to date has received limited exposure. The final selection was made by a panel of sector experts.
Fresh and Clay Films are part of this year’s British Ceramics Biennial, a major celebration of clay and ceramics.
There will be six weeks of exhibitions, installations, special events and hands-on experiences will take place at Spode Works in Stoke-on-Trent from 6 September to 19 October.
Natalie Willatt