About
Marice Cumber returned to making ceramics after a gap of 30 years, during which time other responsibilities and priorities filled her life. The ceramics that emerged after this gap became physical, built responses to the emotions, complexities and uncertainties that she has experienced and which are part of her life and being.
These huge oversized cups, vessels and vases are confessional, bold and brave, are highly decorated and inscribed with personal messages to herself and her audience. The messages summarise moments of reflection, contemplation, encouragement and acceptance, she is observing herself and commenting on who she is and what is within her.
Marice’s ceramic work is made of stoneware clay, is handbuilt and uses underglazes, oxides and slips for decoration and is glazed with a transparent glaze.
Please look at the exhibitions page for upcoming shows in 2022 and 2023.
Artist Statement
I returned to making ceramics when I was 57 after a gap of nearly 30 years and after suffering a severe negative mental health situation. During that time I had become a mother, worked to support a family and was denied the time, space and freedom (financially and mentally) to pursue any type of meaningful creative practice.
The ceramic work that I started to produce, after not making work for 30 years, and which I am continuing to develop now, is a visual navigation of my life and of my life’s experiences. My ceramics describe and communicate how I am resolving and rationalising my emotions and inner conflicts and how I deal, react and respond to my lived existence. The work, like huge oversized domestic vessels, expresses bold personal and intimate statements, like confessional advertisements, that I am proudly shouting out loud and sharing with an audience of viewers and observers. At its core, my work reverses the hierarchy of shame and hiding from others the complexities, emotional difficulties, pain and challenges of life to become a platform for acknowledging, accepting and celebrating these emotions as part of the richness and depth of life.
As I describe my work I think about honesty, as I don’t need to hide anymore or make an impression on anyone or feel shame or embarrassment about my emotions and reflections on my life and what I feel. I can just tell it how it is, and that honesty has appeal and truth to it and so I have given myself permission at long last to accept myself and to communicate who I really am to others.
All of the work is hand built from stoneware clay, which is then painted with slips, underglazes and oxides before being fired and glazed.
- Marice Cumber
Here’s a film with me talking about my work during my exhibition at the Emma Hill Eagle Gallery in 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YBnOUaTsO0
Here’s some press stuff about me and my ceramic work
2023
MaMagazine, Spain
Milk Vol. 3, Edited by Katherine Oktober Matthews
https://houseofoktober.com/product/milk-art-journal-vol-3-ebook/
2022
Konbini: https://arts.konbini.com/artcontemporain/des-ceramiques-pour-lutter-contre-la-depression-realisees-par-marice-cumber/
My London https://www.mylondon.news/news/north-london-news/i-felt-like-well-being-23344753
Sotheby’s Made In Bed Magazine
https://www.madeinbed.co.uk/features/mental-fairtigue-marice-cumber-london-art-fair
Can Art Save Us (podcast)
https://canartsaveus.podbean.com/e/how-full-is-your-cup-cups-of-courage-cowardice-and-creativity/
These huge oversized cups, vessels and vases are confessional, bold and brave, are highly decorated and inscribed with personal messages to herself and her audience. The messages summarise moments of reflection, contemplation, encouragement and acceptance, she is observing herself and commenting on who she is and what is within her.
Marice’s ceramic work is made of stoneware clay, is handbuilt and uses underglazes, oxides and slips for decoration and is glazed with a transparent glaze.
Please look at the exhibitions page for upcoming shows in 2022 and 2023.
Artist Statement
I returned to making ceramics when I was 57 after a gap of nearly 30 years and after suffering a severe negative mental health situation. During that time I had become a mother, worked to support a family and was denied the time, space and freedom (financially and mentally) to pursue any type of meaningful creative practice.
The ceramic work that I started to produce, after not making work for 30 years, and which I am continuing to develop now, is a visual navigation of my life and of my life’s experiences. My ceramics describe and communicate how I am resolving and rationalising my emotions and inner conflicts and how I deal, react and respond to my lived existence. The work, like huge oversized domestic vessels, expresses bold personal and intimate statements, like confessional advertisements, that I am proudly shouting out loud and sharing with an audience of viewers and observers. At its core, my work reverses the hierarchy of shame and hiding from others the complexities, emotional difficulties, pain and challenges of life to become a platform for acknowledging, accepting and celebrating these emotions as part of the richness and depth of life.
As I describe my work I think about honesty, as I don’t need to hide anymore or make an impression on anyone or feel shame or embarrassment about my emotions and reflections on my life and what I feel. I can just tell it how it is, and that honesty has appeal and truth to it and so I have given myself permission at long last to accept myself and to communicate who I really am to others.
All of the work is hand built from stoneware clay, which is then painted with slips, underglazes and oxides before being fired and glazed.
- Marice Cumber
Here’s a film with me talking about my work during my exhibition at the Emma Hill Eagle Gallery in 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YBnOUaTsO0
Here’s some press stuff about me and my ceramic work
2023
MaMagazine, Spain
Milk Vol. 3, Edited by Katherine Oktober Matthews
https://houseofoktober.com/product/milk-art-journal-vol-3-ebook/
2022
Konbini: https://arts.konbini.com/artcontemporain/des-ceramiques-pour-lutter-contre-la-depression-realisees-par-marice-cumber/
My London https://www.mylondon.news/news/north-london-news/i-felt-like-well-being-23344753
Sotheby’s Made In Bed Magazine
https://www.madeinbed.co.uk/features/mental-fairtigue-marice-cumber-london-art-fair
Can Art Save Us (podcast)
https://canartsaveus.podbean.com/e/how-full-is-your-cup-cups-of-courage-cowardice-and-creativity/