Monumental exhibition set to open at Yorkshire Sculpture Park

Opening April 5, Expressions in Blue by artist Felicity Aylieff is a solo exhibition of porcelain vessels and stacked monoliths painted in tones of rich cobalt blue oxide using expressive brushstrokes full of movement.

These hand-thrown exhibits stand up to an impressive five-metres high and have a powerful sculptural presence, shown together in The Weston Gallery and outdoors.

Aylieff says: “Exhibiting my monumental porcelain vessels at Yorkshire Sculpture Park is an incredible opportunity. I am excited to see them come alive against the rich backdrop of rolling countryside in one of the best places to show sculpture in Britain.”

Alongside seven vast porcelain works and a range of smaller pieces in the gallery, and two towering obelisks outdoors, visitors will see photographs and a film that reveal the remarkable making process. Also on display will be a selection from Aylieff’s extensive range of fascinating mark-making tools, including giant horsehair brushes used to whip around the vessels and create energetic flicks and splashes.

Sarah Coulson, YSP Senior Curator, says: “Being surrounded by Aylieff’s imposing ceramic vessels is an invigorating and moving experience. Their scale and technical ingenuity are breathtaking, and you get lost in the richness and vitality of their surfaces. The artist’s mark making echoes the energy of the natural world, and her practice expands our understanding of the sculptural potential of ceramics, making the work feel perfectly placed at YSP.”

Painting the vessels is a spontaneous, performative act that engages the artist’s whole body and brings energy to their surfaces. In monochromatic shades of grey when applied, the cobalt oxides transform in the kiln into deep and vibrant blues.

Aylieff was drawn to cobalt not only for its luminosity but for its significance in the history of Chinese ceramics. Using the classic blue and white of Chinese porcelain, she synthesises old and new, a reinterpretation that she describes as ‘new Ming’.

Works such as Blue: Triple Form (2023) are painted with large brushes in bold and fluid swathes, built up layer on layer to give depth, with bold gestural marks bringing movement across the form. Others, including Blue: Earth, Fire, Water, Undulating Form I (2024), have smaller, more frenetic surface marks created using improvised brushes made from bunches of bale twine.

Before their physical making, the monumental pieces in Expressions in Blue started life as detailed digital drawings. This is a precise process and a way to counteract some of the risk and uncertainty involved in the production of large-scale ceramics. Then, using a giant potter’s wheel, a highly skilled team of three or more throwers work together to centre and open up the clay. They brace each other’s arms and bodies, using combined physical strength and harmony of movement to raise the wall of the clay upwards to create Aylieff’s characteristic forms.

Aylieff has also produced a ceramic beaker featuring her distinctive cobalt surface decoration in a limited edition of 100 especially for YSP. Each cup is individually hand thrown in porcelain, glazed and painted by the artist in tones of cobalt blue oxide. Created in Jingdezhen, China, 2025. Priced at £75 it represents a wonderful opportunity to own the artist’s work.

YSP is a registered charity and accredited museum, all proceeds from sales help to share incredible art and continue to create meaningful experiences for everyone in a unique environment.

Expressions in Blue has been made possible through support and collaboration with Adrian Sassoon, London, who represent the artist internationally. The exhibition was first shown in expanded form at The Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

For more information: www.ysp.org.uk