Open 8 Feb 2021 – 6 Mar 2022
Gallery 16
Admission was free
Cultured Canines is a collaborative project between artist Allison Ksiazkiewicz and Attic Black | Thetis Authentics that explores the history and mythologies of different dog breeds. The ceramic works displayed combined new designs with ancient decorative and manufacturing techniques as reconstructed from Classical Greece.
Developed from the artist’s keen interest in cultures of natural history and the special role that dogs play in our lives, each vase is dedicated to the unique stories of a specific breed. To prepare the drawings and vase concept, Allison spent several weeks at the Ashmolean Museum studying the design and form of different vases in the collection, and worked with Dr Marianne Bergeron who advises on designs. While research and preparatory work is done in the UK, the vases are made at the Thetis Authentic workshop in Athens. Under the supervision of Dr Eleni Aloupi, a vase shape is finalized and produced. Allison then travelled to Athens to paint the vases, working closely with Dr Aloupi and her team to create an object that captures the visual conventions of red- and black-figure Classical ceramics.
Born in Canada, Allison Ksiazkiewicz is a UK-based artist trained as a printmaker and as an historian of art and science. Cultured Canines represents her first collaborative approach to art-making.
