Marking the Line: Ceramics and Architecture

Marking the Line: Ceramics and Architecture explores the dynamic relationship between contemporary ceramics and historic architecture. Four leading ceramicists — Carina Ciscato, Nicholas Rena, Christie Brown, and Clare Twomey — were invited to create site-specific works within Sir John Soane’s Museum, a house designed as an educational repository for art and architecture. Curated by Joanna Bird, the exhibition traveled to two other Soane-designed houses — Port Eliot in Cornwall and Pitzhanger Manor in Ealing — further enriching the conversation between ceramics, space, and legacy.

Lavishly illustrated with stunning photography by Hélène Binet and with essays by Joanna Bird, the Duke of Devonshire, Alun Graves, Dr Jerzy Kierkuć-Bieliński, Tim Knox and Eric Parry, this beautifully produced catalogue captures the essence of the exhibition, highlighting how contemporary makers responded to Soane’s architectural vision and curatorial strategies. From Nicholas Rena’s luminous bowls that echo Soane’s use of concealed light to Clare Twomey’s conceptual exploration of legacy through 1,000 bone china bowls, Marking the Line invites readers to reflect on the timeless interplay between art, craft, and architecture. A must-have for collectors, artists, and enthusiasts of ceramics and design.

Essays by Joanna Bird, Stoker Devonshire, Alun Graves, Dr Jerzy Kierkuć-Bieliński, Tim Knox and Eric Parry

Curated by Joanna Bird

Photography by Hélène Binet

2013