I only discovered the very sculptural ceramics of Halima Cassell earlier this year whilst visiting the large ceramics department of the Victoria and Albert Museum. The piece below sits next to the wonderful looping work of Merete Rasmussen (here), and immediately spoke to me. I enjoy both her technique and process, which I don't believe I have encountered in ceramics before. I homed in on its deeply, decoratively carved surface, which was reminiscent to my eyes of the carvings found on buildings in certain ancient cultures. The carving (done whilst the clay is nearly dried out), on Cassell's vessels is rhythmic and structured, utilising the poetries of geometry and symmetry. This technique produces complex patterns in her physically sculptural works, which in part resemble Islamic architectural structures. It also resembles elements found in the body like ribs, or the spine, and organic structures from nature based on the Golden Ratio or Fibonacci sequences.
Halima Cassell - Dark Trivalve, 2008, V&A Museum
I was curious and eager to see more of Cassells's work, and as luck would have it, on one of my regular visits to Manchester, I was delighted to discover the exhibition Halima Cassell: Eclectica-Global Inspirations and Virtues of Unity at the Manchester Art Gallery. It is a stunning one-woman show, showcasing the whole of her current oeuvre in clay, stone, bronze and wood. The works of both Cassell and Rasmussen have given me a new appreciation of the skills and versatility of ceramic artists.
After visiting Cassell's exhibition I went upstairs to see the showcase of Nordic Craft and Design, and couldn't help but be struck by the obvious similarities in complex, sculptural, geometrical forms in her work and those of the designers of Nordic lighting such as Poul Henningsen, Jørn Utzen, Poul Christiansen and Simon Karkov, featured below.
At the side entrance to the art gallery is this wonderfully patterened, towering totem pole-like construction of Cassell's entitled Fan Construction, which again was covered in rich, rhythmic, geometric decorative detail. The form of Fan Construction invites comparison with Brancusi's Enless Column, but differentiates itself through the addition of the lovely patterns carved onto its surface. Below is a short video in which Cassell discusses her Kashmiri/Mancunian roots, as well as the development of her work and creative processes.
Halima Cassell: Eclectica Global Inspirations/Virtues of Unity
until 5th January 2020
Manchester Art Gallery
Mosley Street
Manchester
