Written In Clay: From The John David Lawrence Collection

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John David Lawrence in his home (photo courtesy of Vancouver Art Gallery)

Visitors to the Vancouver Art Gallery’s Written in Clay: From the John David Lawrence Collection are greeted by a mural-sized photograph of the collector in his downtown Vancouver home. Dressed in his signature bright colours and hand-crafted jewellery, Lawrence is surrounded by his remarkable collection of BC ceramics, local art, and plants. 

Possessing the largest private collection of BC ceramics, Lawrence has researched and generously shared his treasures publicly over the past 20 years. This exhibition is simultaneously a celebration of an important member of Vancouver’s cultural community and a stunning presentation of BC’s rich ceramic production.

The exhibition, on view until Nov. 9, 2025, comprises nearly 200 objects arranged in three sections: Emphasis on Function (1920s – 1950s); A Sculptural Turn (1960 – 1990s); and spotlight arrangements of individual artists. The chronological order helps to organize what would otherwise be an overwhelming trove of compelling objects. 

The majority of pieces are grouped on three islands composed of boards resting on concrete breezeblocks, an arrangement that suggests the ware boards on which potters store their work. It also recalls an exhibition of pots by John Reeve at the VAG in 1972. Cleverly blending studio aesthetics with historical reference, the display allows pots to be seen from all sides as individual objects and in a group context.

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Wayne Ngan, Tea Bowls, circa 1970s, ceramic (collection of John David Lawrence, photo courtesy of Vancouver Art Gallery)

With so many outstanding examples, it is tempting to linger over individual pieces. However, it is instructive to view them as a collective, noting how the differing silhouettes play one against the other, or how the colours sing when viewed together. Function and expression fuse in even the earliest pots, which demonstrate attention to form, well-shaped and proportionate handles, and thoughtful decoration. As one traces continuities between examples, individual styles stand out.

By the 1960s and 1970s, influence from abroad combined with greater institutional commitment to education, resulting in a wider range of production. The popularity of modern design can be observed in Thomas Kakinuma’s large vases, one glazed a cool turquoise and another, bright orange. Both would feel at home in a modernist interior. 

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Axel Ebring, Flower Pot, circa 1940s, ceramic (collection of John David Lawrence, photo courtesy of Vancouver Art Gallery)

Several artists made objects specifically designed for the modern home. A particularly striking casserole by Leonard and Mary Osborne features radiating lines of sgraffito, which create an optically vibrant surface, while carvings of abstract animals and geometric patterns decorate a lamp base by Jan and Helga Grove. 

Others chose more singular paths. Tam Irving perfected glazes using local materials, pairing them with sculptural bottles and pots. Bill Rennie created architectural fantasies, while Debra Sloan pursued figural works. 

If the range of work broadened, certain core values remained: a commitment to making things well, a desire to master new materials and technologies, and a certainty that beautiful, handmade objects contribute to the common good.

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Charmian Johnson, Bowl, circa 1970s, ceramic (collection of John David Lawrence, photo courtesy of Vancouver Art Gallery)

Along the gallery walls, eight groupings or “spotlights” feature pots by artists Lawrence collected in depth. Axel Ebring, an immigrant from Sweden, is credited with being the first professional studio potter in BC. From the 1920s to the 1940s, he produced wheel-thrown functional wares using local clay. His pots display unusual glaze combinations of red, blue, turquoise, and mustard, demonstrating his expertise as both a potter and master glazer.

Walter Dexter is represented by several colourful raku pots, which show a painterly influence, and by an example from his later “Torso” series, a robust and richly textured vase that suggests a human form. John Reeve, who travelled widely and apprenticed with Bernard Leach, experimented with brightly coloured glazes on earthenware as well as high-fire stoneware featuring loosely thrown functional forms.

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Thomas Kakinuma, Owl, circa 1970s, ceramic (collection of John David Lawrence, photo courtesy of Vancouver Art Gallery)

Women contributed extensively to the development of ceramics culture at this time. Examples from Kathleen Hamilton, Laura Wee Láy Láq, and Charmian Johnson are highlighted here. Hamilton produced elegant vessels with subtle glazes and applied or pierced decoration. Wee Láy Láq presented Lawrence with the first pot he ever collected, and he has valued her work ever since. Of Stó:lo ancestry, Wee Láy Láq adapts Indigenous techniques of coil building, burnishing, and pit-firing to produce voluptuous pots influenced by organic forms. Johnson focused on bowls, which she glazed in luminous celadon, temmoku, and ash glazes.

Immigrants from the world over have enriched the local community. Wayne Ngan, from Guangzhou, China, fused an Asian aesthetic with a unique approach to form and glazing, producing some of the best-known ceramics from this region. Thomas Kakinuma came from Japan as a young man, studying ceramics with Rex Mason, Olea Davis, and others. He is best known for his charming bird and animal sculptures, a number of which are displayed here.

Written in Clay provides a feast for those who love ceramics and the creative accomplishments of local makers. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication, The Place of Objects, which offers a tantalizing glimpse into the life and passions of the collector. Lawrence sees himself more as a custodian than possessor of these pots, a legacy he feels compelled to share and pass on. We are the fortunate beneficiaries of his largesse. ■

Written in Clay: From the John David Lawrence Collection is at the Vancouver Art Gallery through Nov. 9, 2025.

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