9 December 2023 – 1 March 2024

“Poor Cow”: A Collection of Slip Cast stoneware Cows, Illustrated Porcelain Milk Bottles and Eco Activism Posters

Claudette’s work draws on her life experience as a child of Jamaican parents, growing up in inner city Bristol, England. She creates ceramic art that is provocative, playful and humorous. She seeks to test interpretations of the present day, whilst producing tangible objects that contain a certain beauty and references a past.

The cow with its M-logo legs was inspired by a visit to family in Jamaica where, in Montego Bay, the first MacDonald’s had opened. In a neighbouring field stood a solitary cow. The process of making this collection informed her conceptual development, leading her to think about our consumption of the cow and its environmental impact.

The seated cow’s base is modelled directly from a real cow’s tongue, purchased from a local butcher. Handling a cow’s tongue to make its mould was grotesque to Claudette, a meat eater. Thus, the beautiful cow on top of the hideous tongue represents the contradictions in our everyday choices.

The pieces are adorned with her illustrations – a contemporary twist on the traditional blue and white Willow Pattern – depicting scenes and people in Peckham, South London, where she lives.

Claudette is also a musician and she has produced soundtracks to accompany this collection. These can be heard on her website: claudetteforbesceramics.com

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9 Rhagfyr 2023 – 1 Mawrth 2024

“Poor Cow”, Casgliad o Wartheg Crochenwaith Castin Slip, Poteli Llefrith Darluniadol a Phosteri Eco-ymgyrchu

Mae gwaith Claudette yn tynnu ar ei phrofiad o fod yn blentyn i rieni o Jamaica ac o dyfu i fyny mewn ardal yng nghanol dinas Bryste. Mae’n creu celfyddyd geramig sy’n bryfoclyd, chwareus a gogleisiol. Mae’n ceisio rhoi dehongliadau heddiw ar brawf wrth gynhyrchu gwrthrychau cyffyrddadwy sy’n cynnwys math o harddwch ac sy’n cyfeirio at y gorffennol.

Cafodd y fuwch gyda’i choesau logo-M ei hysbrydoli gan ymweliad â’i thylwyth yn Jamaica lle agorodd y MacDonald’s cyntaf yno ym Montego Bay. Safai buwch ar ei phen ei hun mewn cae cyfagos. Gwnaeth y broses o greu’r casgliad hwn lywio ei datblygiad cysyniadol gan ei harwain hi i ystyried y modd rydym yn bwyta gwartheg ac effaith hynny ar yr amgylchedd.

Modelwyd sylfaen y fuwch-ar-ei-heistedd o dafod buwch go iawn a brynwyd oddi wrth gigydd lleol. I Claudette, sydd ei hun yn bwyta cig, roedd trafod tafod buwch er mwyn creu ei mowld yn brofiad gwrthun. Felly, mae’r fuwch hardd sy’n eistedd ar dafod hyll yn cynrychioli’r gwrth-ddweud yn ein dewisiadau bob dydd.

Addurnir y darnau gan ei darluniadau glas a gwyn – tro cyfoes yn y cynllun willow pattern glas a gwyn traddodiadol – sy’n portreadu golygfeydd a phobl Peckham lle mae hi’n byw yn ne Llundain.

Mae Claudette hefyd yn gerddor ac mae hi wedi cynhyrchu traciau sain i gyd-fynd â’r casgliad hwn. Gellir clywed y rhain ar ei gwefan: claudetteforbesceramics.com

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