Hayward Gallery's 'Strange Clay' Exhibition Explores Ceramics' Uncanny and Subversive Potential

From 25 October to 8 January, the Hayward Gallery in London showcases 'Strange Clay: Ceramics in Contemporary Art,' which delves into the paradoxical characteristics of clay. This exhibition includes more than 20 pieces, featuring works such as Jonathan Baldock's Facecrime (2019) and Leilah Babirye's mask-like heads. Key contributors include Salvatore Arancio, known for his iridescent pillars, and Lindsey Mendick, whose Till Death Do Us Part (2022) critiques the dynamics of cohabitation. The display highlights the transformative and abject aspects of clay, celebrating its role as a queer medium. In contrast, Theaster Gates's Clay Sermon examined ceramics' connections to trade and colonialism, reflecting a wider interest in clay, as seen in Ai Weiwei and Tate Liverpool's 2004 A Secret History of Clay.