Jerwood Foundation Supports Break the Mould Exhibition at Ikon Gallery.

Break the Mould is the final chapter in a trilogy of exhibitions exploring craft, art school pedagogies, and contemporary art practice supported by Jerwood Foundation. Thread the Loom (2025) was the second group exhibition in the series celebrating the art of weaving, following Start the Press! (2024), an exhibition which focused on regional printmaking.

 

The concluding instalment, Break the Mould, focuses on ceramics, positioning clay as a site of experimentation. The exhibition brings together leading ceramicists and contemporary artists who challenge traditional boundaries of craft. Resident artists Halima Cassell MBE, Jack Ky Tan and Roo Dhissou will work in the gallery during the exhibition, alongside artworks by Kara Chin, Mark Essen and Laurie Ramsell. The exhibition also hosts two Birmingham ceramics workshops; Sundragon Community Pottery, a not-for-profit organisation in Balsall Heath; and Modern Clay, an artist-led cooperative clay studio in Digbeth.   

 

Lara Wardle, Executive Director and Trustee, Jerwood Foundation said:

I am delighted that Jerwood Foundation has continued its support of Ikon Gallery and has awarded a grant to enable this forthcoming exhibition at Ikon Gallery, which celebrates the medium of clay and includes three works by Halima Cassell MBE on loan from Jerwood Collection.

Linzi Stauvers, Artistic Director (Education), Ikon Gallery:

With the support of Jerwood Foundation over three years, Ikon has opened its galleries to an art school ecology. We started by hosting artist residencies on an antique printing press, followed by a group of weavers activating an AVL Studio Dobby loom. In spring 2026, we showcase diverse ceramic practices with focus on a physical and conceptual processing of materials. The resident artists are called on to perform their craft, whilst audiences are invited to observe, engage and participate. Break the Mould promises to be lively, and messy!

Break the Mould Exhibition opens on 25 March 2026 and runs until 6 September 2026. For further information please visit Ikon Gallery.

January 28, 2026