By Joshua Robinson –
By My Hands at YSP (Yorkshire Sculpture Park) is a celebration of the work of Florian Gadsby’s work from their journey from apprentice to worldwide acclaim.
The exhibition of Gadsby’s work will be running from 4th November 2023 – 25th February 2024, at the YSP Centre and Upper Space.
Gadsby is creating a whole new body of work, available only at YSP, to showcase almost a decade of artistic discovery. It features new and tried-and-tested shapes, angled and simple forms, and beautiful pots coated in iron fired numerous times.
Coinciding with the By My Hands exhibition, Penguin Books is publishing a new book of the same name, charting this celebrated craftsperson’s career. The book will be available to buy from YSP Shop in-store and online.
Gadsby tells the very personal story of his artistic awakening, his education in England, Ireland, and Japan, and the creativity, absolute commitment, and discipline that has led him to where he is today.
With a following of 775,000 on Instagram and 1.8 million on TikTok, Gadsby shares daily behind-the-scenes footage of his processes, inspiring others to appreciate his craft and get creative.
Initially documenting Hammond’s studio and practices, whilst introducing his own style of making, he now posts daily to more than 3 million followers and subscribers across various platforms. He hopes this will inspire other people to embrace and make their own creations through the craft he loves.
Available to buy from YSP, Gadsby has donated an exclusive limited edition of approximately 60 beautiful and affordable angular vases. Glazed in his classic colours of white through to green, they will be marked with the artist’s stamp, which has been specially created for this YSP collaboration.
A range of exclusive merchandise, including a canvas tote bag, 2024 calendar and mini prints of Gadsby’s stunning drawings will also be available to buy from YSP Shop, online and in-store.
Gadsby works impure, high iron rich stoneware clay to produce his precision wheel-thrown tableware and one-off decorative
sculptures, using traditional tools, techniques and processes. His unique style and personality have garnered a multi-million following
online since he burst onto the art scene in 2014, whilst his shop updates sell out in seconds to an appreciative worldwide client list and fanbase.
Inspired by sleek metalwork, simple glassware and everyday wood craft objects such as bowls and pourers, Gadsby’s glazes are
inherently detailed and full of depth. Muted tones, whites, blues, greys, and metallics permeate his collections and his personal style.
His glazes are simple in composition, often crackled with iron-flecked surfaces; he uses varying percentages of red iron oxide to change their colours from white to blue to green, alongside a range of blacks and whites and other metallic, bronzes and gun-metal like slips and glazes.
Florian Gadsby:
Born in Norfolk in 1992, Gadsby was educated at a Rudolf Steiner School, gaining tuition from pottery teacher, Caroline Hughes and later taking a work placement at Leach Pottery, St. Ives, assisting Jack Doherty.
He went on to spend two years at the Design & Crafts Council of Ireland, Ceramics Skills and Training Course, before moving back to London to become a studio apprentice for Lisa Hammond MBE.
It was whilst at Hammond’s Maze Hill Pottery that Gadsby was introduced to Japanese Master Potter, Ken Matsuzaki who he later became a visiting apprentice to in Mashiko, Japan.
Gadsby learnt how to use the traditional Japanese kick-wheel to make his established shapes, alongside how to glaze in both the oribe and shino style and how to fire them.
He moved back to London in 2018 and later set up his current studio.
Florian Gadsby, image courtesy of Yorkshire Sculpture Park.
YSP:
Yorkshire Sculpture Park (YSP) is an international centre for modern and contemporary sculpture. Welcoming 380,000 visitors in 2022, YSP is an independent charitable trust and registered museum situated in the 500-acre, 18th-century Bretton Hall estate in West Yorkshire.
Founded in 1977 by Sir Peter Murray CBE and since 2022 led by Clare Lilley, YSP is the largest sculpture park of its kind in Europe.
Across its 45-year history, YSP has worked with over 1,000 artists from more than 40 countries, on varied projects from short-term residencies to major surveys.
YSP supports artists at vital stages in their careers and is rare in having the accommodation, workshops and expertise to enable open-ended and risk-taking practice, giving artists space, time and support to think and to develop new ideas.
Over this time, YSP has sought to ignite, nurture and sustain interest in and debate around contemporary art and sculpture, especially with those for whom art participation is not habitual or familiar.
Supporting 40,000 people each year through YSP’s learning programme, this innovative work develops ability, confidence and life aspiration in participants.
YSP’s core work is made possible by investment from Arts Council England, Wakefield Council, the Liz and Terry Bramall Foundation and Sakurako and William Fisher through the Sakana Foundation. YSP was named Art Fund Museum of the Year in 2014 and awarded VisitEngland’s gold accolade in 2021-22 for an outstanding visitor attraction.
Events:
Meet The Artist and Book Signing
4 November 2023, 11.00 – 16.00
An opportunity to meet Florian Gadsby on the opening day of his exhibition, By My Hands. Visitors will be able to chat to him and ask questions about his practice. His book and merchandise will be available to buy in the shop, for signing by the artist during the event.
£10.00 including free entry into YSP.
Book online at www.ysp.org.uk
Florian Gadsby Throwing Demonstration
17 February 2024, 10.30 – 16.30
A rare opportunity to see Florian Gadsby in action at the wheel. Hosted by Toby Brundin, Director of Ceramic Review Magazine, Gadsby will demonstrate and talk about how he throws his tableware, answering questions from the audience while he works.
£25.00 – including free entry into YSP.
Book online at www.ysp.org.uk
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