TORONTO, ON.- Picasso and Ceramics, the largest exhibition of Picasso’s work in clay ever seen in Canada reveals the energy, daring and originality of the 20th century artist. Presented by the Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art at the University Art Centre, through January 23, 2005, the exhibition provides a unique opportunity to discover an important part of Picasso’s creative universe. Although seldom described as a ceramic artist, Picasso devoted considerable energy to the medium over a period of twenty years at the height of his fame, producing an estimated 4,500 ceramic works. This exhibition will demonstrate his mastery of the technical possibilities of clay and his dazzling conceptual innovations.

“With Picasso, ceramics acquired a real content, speaking not only to the senses but to reason and intelligence as well,” says co-curator Paul Bourassa of the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec, one of the joint organizers of the show. The exhibition assembles 80 unique pieces by Picasso, more than half of them belonging to members of the Picasso family and other private collectors and have never before been exhibited publicly. There are also important pieces on loan from major museums including the Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay, the Musée Picasso in Antibes and the Museu de Ceramica in Barcelona. Adding enormous interest to the show, there are examples of the historic pottery that inspired Picasso, as well as posters he designed for the annual potters’ exhibitions in Vallauris, preparatory sketches for ceramic pieces, and photographs of the artist working in clay.

Picasso and Ceramics defines benchmarks in Picasso’s career as a ceramicist and illustrates his handling of the painted three-dimensional surface. In his early years, Picasso was influenced by Paul Gauguin’s work, as well as by historic ceramic traditions, which he appropriated making major innovations particularly in his large-scale and assembled works. “These pieces reflect Picasso’s profound knowledge of historical ceramics and his interest in taking these forms and re-invigorating them in his own inimitable way,” says Sue Jefferies, curator of contemporary ceramics, Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art. A beautifully illustrated catalogue containing original research on Picasso’s ceramic oeuvre complements this exhibition. It features essays by specialists including exhibition co-curators Paul Bourassa from the Musée du Québec and Leopold L. Foulem, the celebrated Canadian artist who has devoted twenty years of study to Picasso’s work. Published in French and English by Editions Hazan, it can be purchased in advance at the Gardiner Museum Shop, 60 McCaul St, Toronto.