Selected Works From the Leach Pottery Residency

Southern Guild is pleased to exhibit an extensive collection of studio ceramics created by Andile Dyalvane during his residency at Leach Pottery in St. Ives, Cornwall (UK). Comprising more than 30 hand-built vessels, bowls and platters, this body of work brings Andile’s artistic virtuosity, personal history and Xhosa heritage into dialogue with his experience at the famed Leach Pottery studio.

Dyalvane’s presence at Leach – founded in 1920 by Bernard Leach and Shoji Hamada – brought his Xhosa heritage into conversation with British studio pottery. Many of the works include references to the local landscape and materials and intentionally engage with the storied history of the Leach studio.

The artist says: “One of the themes that runs through my work is soil erosion and the textures and revelations this creates. Hearing stories about how potters threw their rejected pots into the river Stennack, alongside the pottery studio, some of my work has engaged with this idea and the use of shards. In another piece, I have explored bark textures from alongside the Stennack and used gritty inclusions of wood ash from the fireplace in the old pottery building.”

Leach Pottery offers four residencies a year to foster an exchange of ideas and methods between the artist and the studio’s staff and visitors. Andile was invited in recognition of his open approach to sharing his knowledge and promoting cultural exchange, and for his reputation as an artist who works with a unique style and technique.

Over eight weeks, he worked prolifically, creating experimental pieces that radiate a newfound dynamism. The artist locates the origin of this movement in his own energetic shift, as he works with a greater sense of abandon and an even deeper commitment to his spiritual lineage and internal exploration.