Lily Bircham

Bircham is interested in the duality in ceramics – a material used in both ceremonial contexts and everyday activities. Creating hand-built vessels, she considers how these basic seeming activities are just as valuable and meaningful as any ‘grand’ event. Providing a meal, or even just a shared cup of coffee, can be strong catalyst for moments of connection, and often lead to strong memories being associated with these acts. 

The artist was inspired by the shapes and colours of ancient pots - using this connection to highlight that this is a universal concept – across time and culture. The ‘ornamental’ shapes also emphasise that our often disregarded daily rituals are in fact monumental. She also added hints of brighter colours and unusual shapes to give more fluidity, vibrancy and ‘personality’ to the vessels, as well as making sure they weren’t defined to one time period.  

Although the installation includes documentation of a meal that was shared using the featured ceramics, the pots were left empty – allowing audiences to imagine a meal for themselves. She chose to display these on a repurposed dining table with lighting from below, aiming to create a familiar and humble environment, whilst maintaining elements of grandeur.