On 8 September NGCI opened a new exhibition of contemporary ceramic art by artist Virginia Foster, which is currently on view in the Dart Auditorium Community Gallery. Entitled Wonders of Clay: Perfectly Imperfect, the selection of works showcases Foster’s remarkable creative ingenuity while offering a unique homage to the many “women of distinction” who have collectively enriched the artist’s life.
As an educator in Cayman Brac and Grand Cayman for over 30 years, Foster developed her passion for ceramics under the mentorship of former National Gallery Director Leslie Bigelman and subsequently under the tutelage of artist Cecilia Urdaneta. More recently, she has continued to develop her practice as a ceramist, producing an ever-growing body of work as a participating member of the Visual Arts Society’s open studio at Pedro St James, and with support from 3 Girls & a Kiln.
Foster’s artistic process emphasises the hand-made, tactile nature of her chosen medium. Elaborating this creative journey from initial concept to finished object, Foster imbues the artistic act with metaphorical associations, through which the raw material of clay is given substance and form. “In the studio, the clay was wedged and shaped in my hands”, the artist remarks. “After many manipulations, it was fired in an electric kiln or in an outdoor gas kiln during a ‘raku’ process. Every piece has its own story full of symbols and contrasts: light and dark, thin and thick, textured and smooth, in and out of balance. The variety of the ceramic process is both fascinating and inherently sensual: continuously touching, wedging, rubbing, and feeling”.
The story of each of these objects ultimately charts the transformation of humble clay into works of beauty and spirituality—each one speaking to the women that have inspired the artist in various ways. “The most meaningful things in my life are the relationships I have developed with my network of supportive family and friends”, the artist states. “My work explores the discrepancy between how we, as humans, see ourselves and how we see others. It is important that I share this with my Caymanian community so that they, too, can share in the beauty of their wonderfully made relationships”.
The exhibition features approximately 60 artworks and is supported by a full-colour catalogue, which has been generously funded through a grant from the Cayman National Cultural Foundation. Virginia Foster: Wonders of Clay runs until 14 October 2021, and is open from 10:00AM – 5:00PM, Monday to Saturday. A supporting programme of events can be viewed here.
About Virginia Foster
Born in Belize in 1950, Virginia Foster has lived and worked in the Cayman Islands since January 1977. As a retired educator and past Cayman National Cultural Foundation (CNCF) board member, she continues to support the work of CNCF as a part-time Education Officer and docent for Mind’s Eye School Tours Programme. In addition to being a storyteller, better known as “Auntie V” at Gimistory and on CNCF’s Caymanian Stories, her other creative outlets include fashion design, conducting craft workshops, and writing poetry. Foster is a 2012 recipient of CNCF’s Gold Star for Creativity in the Arts and received an Emerging Pioneer Certificate at the Hero’s Day Award Ceremony in 2014.
Her ceramic pieces have been shown in several National Gallery of the Cayman Islands (NGCI) exhibitions, including Ceramic Art: From the Fifteenth Century to the Contemporary (2014) and Revive: Contemporary Caymanian Craft (2017). Foster’s work is represented in the permanent collections of NGCI and the Cayman Brac Museum and is featured in The Art of the Cayman Islands: A Journey Through the National Gallery Collection (Scala Fine Arts, 2016).