Ceramic Matters
South Africa
E. 1997
Gerhard Swart & Hendrik Coetzee.
Ceramic Matters was established in 1997 and immediately made an impact on the local and international art and design scenes. The founders, Anthony Harris and Gerhard Swart, met in 1977 and studied together at The Johannesburg Art College. During their 44-year relationship their respective backgrounds in Fine Art, Printmaking and Ceramics, laid the groundwork for the exquisite works they went on to produce under the name Ceramic Matters. Between 1998 and 2020 the duo won numerous local and international awards. They produced work for the Conran Shop globally and exhibited with influential museums and galleries around the world including MOMA, the Pretoria Art Museum, Everard Read and Southern Guild at Art Basel. The studio closed temporarily when Anthony was diagnosed with cancer in 2020. He sadly succumbed to the disease in December 2020. In 2023 Henrik Coetzee joined Gerhard to work on a commission at Babylonstoren, and is now a permanent member of the team. With a Fine Arts degree from the University of Stellenbosch, Hendrik has local roots but global experience. He lived and worked in Holland for a number of years, and returns to the Cape to continue the legacy of Ceramic Matters alongside Gerhard.
The works on this exhibition are fired in two ways, one glazed and one pit fired. The subject matter follows the Ceramic Matters tradition of satirical analysis of everyday life, with nuanced references to the socio-political environment.
