Biography
Material, process and structure are key concepts in Anne Butler’s work. Her making process and firing techniques challenge the fallibility of materials alluding to inherent fragilities. The passage of time and cultural and individual memory is areas of interest which she explores through transformation, sequences and accumulation and dissolution of material.
Her current work is made primarily of parian porcelain which has a marble-like quality. Very thin sheets are cut, assembled and fired. ‘Wax and Wane’ is made of varying thickness of parian porcelain which is cut and assembled into cubes. Porcelain distorts and collapses at high temperatures. These cubes are placed in the kiln at varying temperatures in order to attain the required level of distortion and collapse. The resulting sequence of seven cubes explores the fallibility of structure, material and process as well as alluding to the rhythms and passage of memories and time.
Butler received a BA Ceramics from the University of Ulster, Belfast in 1985 and an MA Ceramics from the University of Wales in 2000. She is a member of the Royal British Society of Sculptors, London and is based in Belfast.
Selected Exhibitions
2020 International Academy of Ceramics New Members Exhibition. Guozhong Ceramic Art Museum, Beijing, China
2020 Royal Ulster Academy Annual Exhibition. Ulster Museum. Belfast
2020 Ceramic Ireland Triennial. Land Marks, Farmliegh Gallery, Dublin Touring to Argilla Faenza Italy 2021
2020 Unlocked. Craft NI Gallery. Belfast.
2020 Arts council Collection Exhibition. Craft NI Gallery, Belfast
2020 Changchung International Ceramics festival, Changcung, China
2019 Korean International Ceramic Biennale. Icheon. Korea
2019 Royal Ulster Academy AnnualExhibition,Belfast
2019 Royal Society of Sculptors Annual Exhibition, London
2019 Artists in Craft, Cill Rialiag Arts Centre. Ireland
2019 Showcase. Rosie James Memorial fund, Ulster museum, Belfast
2019 Present and Collect. Contemporary Applied Arts Gallery, London
2018 Christmas exhibition. Craft and Design Gallery, Leeds
2018 Royal Ulster Academy Annual Exhibition, Ulster Museum
2018 Sculpture in Context, Botanic Gardens. Dublin
2018 Summer Exhibition, Royal Society of Sculptors. London
2018 Contained, Frocess Yard. Cloughmills
2018 Boyle Arts Festival. Ireland
2018 The Untold Story, Hallows Gallery, Belfast
2018 True Colours. Contemporary Applied Arts. London
2017 Royal Ulster Academy 134 th Annual Exhibition
2017 Bravura, Blue Egg Gallery. Wexford
2017 Participant in The Baker a Dozen. Round House Gallery
2017 New member showcase, Contemporary Applied Arts, London RDS Craft Award Exhibition, Dublin
2017 7 Shades, Downpatrick Arts Centre
2017 Paragon, Spacecraft, Belfast
2017 Hotpots, Flowerfield Art Centre, Portrush
2017 Narratives in Making Ruthin Gallery Wales
2017 Artist in Craft, Cill Rialaig. Kerry
2017 Belfast Harlequin Art exhibition
2017 Narratives in Making, Critical Selection, Portfolio. National Craft Gallery, Kilkenny
2016 Royal Ulster Academy Annual Exhibition
2016 Selection for Innovations in Ceramics, Cambridge.
2016 Table Exhibition, Butler House, Kilkenny
2016 Selected Exhibition -Boyle Arts Festival
2016 Art of Craft,Selected exhibition, Market Place Theatre, Armagh
2015 – Royal Ulster Academy Annual Exhibition,
2003 – Joint Exhibition with Beverley Carpenter. ‘Vial’ Royal Society of Sculptors. London
2002 – Joint Exhibition, ‘Trace Elements’. University of Glamorgan, Wales
2001 – Joint Exhibition, Vial’ Wysing Arts Cambridge.
2000 – Group Exhibition, ‘Relic’ University of South Glamorgan, Wales
2000 – Past Present Future, Cambourne, Cambridgeshire
2000 – ‘Science, Art and Technology’ Selected Exhibition. Newbury, Wales
2000 – ‘ Objects in Time’ Selected Exhibition, Brixton Art Gallery. London
2000 – ‘ Fin de Siegle’. Group Exhibition, Kilvert Gallery, Hereford
1999 – Teishoin, Hekinan-shi, Aichi-Ken, Japan