LOCAL / NATIONAL / INTERNATIONAL at the Lowry

The Lowry presents Local / National / International – the first in a new series of exhibitions that gather works by artists who work in similar mediums or share conceptual interests.

The first of three parallel displays features Aliyah Hussain, Paloma Proudfoot and Renee So – artists who work in ceramics and use the medium as a tool for narrative.

While the thematic concerns of the makers are wide-ranging, they all share a fascination with the material of clay and its seemingly endless possibilities, showcasing the breadth of contemporary fine art ceramics. All three exhibitions are underpinned by feminist ideas, challenging gender stereotypes and colonialist practices, while often employing humour as an effective form of visual communication.  

Aliyah Hussain presents She was waiting for her roots: an immersive environment inspired by Anne Richter’s 1967 short sci-fi story The Sleep of Plants, in which the solitude-seeking protagonist decides to become a potted plant. Drawing on an interest in botany with a local connection to the landscape of Todmorden, Hussain utilises ceramics, drawing, collage and sound to create a world of creeping vines, roots and other organic forms along with an ambient soundtrack created from placing contact microphones directly onto clay sculptures. 

Paloma Proudfoot’s Lay Figure dives into her research into the gendered history of medicine. For the exhibition, she focuses on the questionable (to say the least) treatment of female patients at the Salpêtrière Hospital in 19th century Paris, a leading centre for the ‘treatment of hysteria’, where artistic mediums such as plaster casting, photography and sound were used to diagnose, demonstrate and treat symptoms. Proudfoot explores the topic in what is now her recognisable signature style, with ceramic and mixed media sculptural reliefs mounted on walls. In Lay Figure, they are accompanied by performances made in collaboration with choreographer Aniela Piasecka and composer Ailie Ormston.  

Renee So merges feminist ideas with historic influences through the mediums of ceramics, stained glass and textiles that employ playfulness and unpredictability. For her show The Essence, she presents a series of oversized ceramic perfume bottles inspired by the original snuff bottles from China’s Qing dynasty, many of which are now in Western museums’ collections. So has also created a brand new body of work in the form of a tiled mosaic, visualising the game of cuju – an ancient Chinese ball game which predates football, here played by women.