Porcelianand clouds are two very different things. Yet add to them the ritual of the tea ceremony and you have the elements of an intriguing exhibition.
Kaye Pemberton's new work is about relationships. Not only does she investigate the relationship between objects that make up the ritual of serving tea the teapot, the teacup or tea beaker, the sugar bowl and the jug she also plays with the relationship between the teacup and its holder.
Sometimes this is the more conventional saucer but more often Pemberton experiments with her cloud or pillow forms. These forms are the result of Pemberton's journeys in China and studies of Chinese ceramics.
She has been intrigued by traditional Chinese ceramic cushions and the apparent contradictory nature of the hardness of ceramics and the expectation of the softness of a pillow. From these ceramic pillows Pemberton has evolved her porcelain forms which enclose 'air' like clouds.
These 'clouds' have rounded surfaces that act as secure holders for the base of teapots, cups and beakers. They are also used for shallow indented bowls and flat saucers with rolled edges. Rather than the smaller pillow dishes it was the large 'cloud' bowls that were particularly satisfying in their rounded sensuous forms. Pemberton uses the palest whites and the softest green celadon glazes. The objects are decorated with small lozenges of coloured clay that glow jewel-like against the pale clay body.
The artist's fingers have also made indentations that indicate where it feels right to handle each form.
The viewer is drawn into contemplation of the possibilities of each grouping of objects.
The objects themselves relate more to our Western way of drinking tea, yet they also suggest the tea ceremony of the East with its accompanying rituals.
There is great pleasure to be obtained by looking closely at this work. It does not reveal its subtleties to the casual glance.
Its greatest pleasure remains for those who take the time to use the objects in the way the artist intended.

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