Three Artists Explore History Through Clay at London's Maximillian William

Anina Major, Andrés Monzón-Aguirre, and Adebunmi Gbadebo present ceramic works in 'Inventing the Rest: New Adventures in Clay' at Maximillian William in London from June 29 to September 14. Each artist employs clay to connect past and future through distinct historical lenses. Gbadebo creates pots using clay, animal bones, and rice sourced from True Blue plantation in South Carolina, where her ancestors were enslaved and buried. These materials transform from mere containers into vessels for examining her family's ongoing relationship with land their predecessors were forced to work. Major's ceramics reference Bahamian straw-weaving traditions, with plaited clay strips resembling tourist crafts and cylindrical fingers evoking structural wires. By translating ephemeral straw into durable clay, she asserts the cultural value of indigenous Arawak techniques beyond commercial purposes. Monzón-Aguirre presents two 2023 glazed stoneware works titled 'Égida (Jaguar)' and 'Égida (Gallina Ciega)', featuring triple animal heads of endangered Colombian species. These protective forms recall gargoyles without functional spouts, emphasizing human responsibility for environmental preservation. All three artists address different forms of loss—slavery's legacy, endangered cultural practices, and species extinction—while using clay's material permanence to advocate for future protection.