Strange Clay at the Hayward Gallery: a ‘punchy’ and ‘stimulating’ exhibition

This ‘impressive’ new show explores how artists are using clay to create weird and wonderful work

Installation view of Betty Woodman’s House of the South at the Hayward Gallery
Betty Woodman’s House of the South (1996)
(Image credit: Mark Blower, courtesy of The Hayward Gallery)

Mankind has been shaping clay for “more than 12,000 years”, said Emma Crichton-Miller in the FT. We have used it to create everything from bricks and tools to ornaments, and the material bears a heavy “metaphorical load”: it even plays a key role in some “myths of human origin”. And while it was once looked down on by the art establishment, pottery is currently “booming”: in the world of contemporary art, the success of potters such as Grayson Perry is helping to overturn any snobbery once directed its way.

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