Invited Guest

Jim Smith

In 2024, Jim Smith RCA and NSCAD alumnus, celebrated his 40th year at his historic waterfront studio in Chester. Jim’s work has been included in well over 100 exhibitions, both nationally and internationally. His pieces are in many prestigious public and private collections including The Canadian Museum of History, the AGNS, Toronto's Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, and the Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute in China. Jim received a medal from the Canadian government for distinguished career achievement and significant contribution to Canadian society. Jim has traveled extensively delving into the ceramic history of Europe, Mexico, China, Turkey, Morocco, and Uzbekistan. Most importantly, Jim’s work has found its way into the lives of thousands of people the world over who cherish interacting with it on a daily basis.

Artist Statement:

‘Platter For a Venetian Flood’ was inspired by the beautifully patterned floors in the churches and palaces of Venice, frequently underwater by the ‘aqua alta’. In this piece, the platter is safely elevated above the floodwaters that are lapping at the foundation of the palace. Byzantine craftsmen brought their techniques and materials with them to Venice, and in the 12th century created mosaic floor masterworks that continue to inspire today. Contemporary Venetian floor mosaics are often designed to be enhanced by the rippling floodwaters of the ‘aqua alta’. This type of cross-cultural influence in the development of art, architecture, and ceramics has informed and inspired my work for decades. Tracing stylistic developments from one culture to the next and through the centuries has provided me with the source for new and contemporary aesthetic solutions to explore.