Material transformation is inextricably linked to the ancient but ever-evolving technique of wood firing. In this spirited collision of ash and flame, a veil of unpredictability envelopes the carefully sculpted surface of clay. Fire—as it engulfs the ceramic objects—reveals not just their finished silhouettes, but also the intent of the hands that mould them. This near-meditative process is the protagonist in After Ash, an upcoming group exhibition by County Hall Pottery, London, UK. From July 7 to August 3, 2025, eight leading ceramic artists—Kazuya Ishida, Ho Lai, Fred Gwatkin, Toni De Jesus, Ian McDonald, Jim Gladwin, Jynsym Ong and Juliet Ferguson-Rose—come together to explore the physical and conceptual possibilities of wood firing and ash glazes, staging a collective ode to the process and its raw appeal.

County Hall Pottery is an initiative established to revive London's historic County Hall into a sought-after platform for ceramic art. Located alongside South Bank with the River Thames, the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben in the backdrop, County Hall Pottery revitalises the historic site with a mission to foreground the art of pottery in all its forms. The organisation offers a dynamic roster of events, including rotating exhibitions, pop-up markets, community engagement initiatives and a 'potter in residence' programme. After Ash comes as an extension of the initiative’s ethos, inviting ceramicists to experiment with the limits of wood-fired ceramics through diverse lenses.

The exhibition space will spotlight a spectrum of creative approaches, from minimalist vessels to richly glazed surfaces. Japanese techniques and wood kilns such as the anagama and noborigama guide Ishida’s Bizen-style forms. Born in a family of potters in Bizen, Japan, the artist’s minimal semantics are rooted in tradition. London-based ceramicist Ho Lai, hailing from Hong Kong, catalyses intricate experiments in glazing as an exploration of materials and processes of creation in her work, which underlines the contemporary nature of ceramics. In the oeuvre of British-Portuguese artist De Jesus, traditional techniques meet contemporary forms. Identity, craftsmanship and cultural symbolism lay the groundwork of his clay figures. Moreover, the juxtaposition of the old and the new is also evident in Gwatkin’s bold work, where the familiar forms of his vessels hint at both organic growth and computational design.

United States-based McDonald allows flame and its spontaneous imprint to delineate materiality and structure. Aligning with this deep understanding of material, qualities, weight, colour and temperature, Gladwin crafts unconventional objects that compel the viewer to notice the most subtle nuances. Ong, a studio potter working in Oxford, joins the repository with her sculptural tributes to cultural memory and modernity. She interweaves traditional know-how with an innovative flair in her evocative vessels. The exhibiting group is rounded out by sculptor and artist Rose, who identifies as both a maker and an ‘archaeologist’ of collaged space, time and objects. Layers of excavating, mixing, cutting, compressing and attaching clay emerge as thoughtful arrangements of future-past narratives in their work.

After Ash is a compelling illustration of the endurance of wood firing as well as its ongoing applicability and potential in modern ceramics. Through the work of the eight multidisciplinary artists, the design exhibition highlights the tension between tradition and innovation, control and unpredictability. The spontaneity of ash and the permanence of form manifest in pieces that dwell on revealing the dialogue between the artist, the material and the all-transforming fire. Celebrating an elemental process while emphasising the various ways it may be interpreted, After Ash reaffirms County Hall Pottery's mission of promoting pottery as an evolving art form in London's cultural milieu.

‘After Ash’ by County Hall Pottery is on view from July 7 – August 3, 2025, in London, UK.