23 March – 30 June 2024

Susan Halls is one of the UK’s leading figurative ceramicists. She has been making her distinctive animal sculptures for forty years, firstly from the UK in the early nineties and then from America where she was based for twenty years. Her work is held in the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Centre of Ceramic Art, York, and the Museum of Contemporary Ceramic Art, Shigaraki, Japan. She has also featured in numerous books and publications.

Her current work, predominantly feline, draws upon her muse Mussels the cat as well as the pigs and fowl she observes in the fields and farmyards around her studio in Poldhu, Cornwall. Though an accomplished maker, Halls is not driven by technique. She uses the full spectrum of ceramic processes as she needs, effortlessly switching from hand building to wheel throwing, majolica painting to scraffito, raku to stoneware firing, to bring her drawings to life in clay. Her unsentimental animal forms captivate in full living, breathing, majesty, appearingready to spring into purring or squawking life.

Biting Back is Halls’ first solo show in the UK for over thirty years. As befits her exceptional talents, she is one of only a handful of artists afforded the honour of occupying all three of Ruthin Craft Centre’s gallery spaces.

Curated by Sharon Blakey and Alex McErlain.
Photography: Shannon Tofts

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23 Mawrth – 30 Mehefin 2024

Susan Halls yw un o artistiaid cerameg ffigurol mwyaf blaenllaw’r DG. Mae hi wedi bod yn creu ei cherfluniau nodedig o anifeiliaid ers deugain mlynedd, yn gyntaf o’r DG yn y 1990au cynnar ac yna o America lle’r oedd hi wedi ymsefydlu am ugain mlynedd. Cedwir ei gwaith yn Amgueddfa’r V&A, Canolfan Gelfyddyd Cerameg, Caerefrog ac Amgueddfa Gelfyddyd Cerameg Cyfoes, Shigaraki, Siapan. Mae hi wedi cael sylw penodol hefyd mewn llyfrau a chyhoeddiadau niferus.

Mae ei gwaith presennol, cathod yn bennaf, yn tynnu ar awen ei chath Mussels yn ogystal â’r moch a’r ffowls mae’n eu gwylio yn y caeau ac ar fuarthau ffermydd o amgylch ei stiwdio yn Poldhu, Cernyw. Er ei bod hi’n wneuthurwr dawnus nid yw Halls yn cael ei gyrru gan dechneg. Mae hi’n defnyddio’r ystod lawn o brosesau cerameg yn ôl yr angen, gan symud yn ddiymdrech o adeiladau â llaw i daflu ar droell, paentio majolica i sgraffito, racw i danio crochenwaith caled, er mwyn dod â’i lluniadau’n fyw mewn clai. Mae ei ffurfiau ansentimental o anifeiliaid yn dal bywyd, anadl a rhwysg yn llawn, ac yn ymddangos petai nhw’n barod i lamu i fywyd grwndlyd a gwawchlyd.

Brathu’n Ôl yw sioe unigol gyntaf Halls yn y DG ers dros ddeng mlynedd ar hugain. Yn unol â’i doniau neilltuol, hi yw un o’r llond dyrnaid o artistiaid sydd wedi cael y fraint o feddiannu’r tair oriel arddangos yng Nghanolfan Grefft Rhuthun.

Curadwyd gan Sharon Blakey ac Alex McErlain.
Ffotograffiaeth: Shannon Tofts

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