Len Castle
Aotearoa New Zealand, b.1924, d.2011
Bowl Stemmed
- Stoneware
- Purchased, 1985
- 155 x 412 x 406mm
- 85/48
Tags: bowls (vessels)
The elegance and symmetry of this shallow bowl have much in common with Japanese ceramics and its fine texture reflects Len Castle’s profound love of nature and the alchemical processes of firing clay. There is a depth in the subtle colour achieved through a controlled technique characteristic of Castle’s work. Bowl Stemmed has been iron glazed. Castle was born in Auckland and has a Bachelor of Science from the University of Auckland. He began potting professionally in 1962 and was a founder of the studio pottery movement in New Zealand. Castle was the first New Zealand potter to have had solo exhibitions in Australia, the United States, Japan and Sweden. His work is held in numerous private and public collections, including the collection of the British Royal Family and the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Exhibition History
Related
Notes
Len Castle (1924 – 2011)
The Gallery was sad to hear of the death of Len Castle, one of New Zealand's pioneering potters. Castle began working as a potter in the 1940s and was to become the leading light of New Zealand's pottery movement for over six decades. In the 1950s he worked with Bernard Leech in England and during the 1960s he began potting professionally, travelling and studying in China, Japan and South Korea.
Notes
The Ceramic Collection
The Gallery's ceramic collection underwent a remarkable shift during the 1980s, in both the way ceramics were regarded and in the number of works collected. However, some of the first pieces to be acquired were purchased in 1954 and 1955. They were early works by the New Zealand master ceramic artist, Len Castle (b.1924), made in 1956-7 before he went to Cornwell to study with Bernard Leach (1887-1979). Inspired by Leach and the Japanese ceramic artist Shoji Hamada (1894-1978), Castle developed an individual oeuvre that drew upon his love of the natural environment and his fascination with the symbol of the circle. Bowl Stemmed (1985), an elegant wheel - thrown bowl with a rich crackle glaze and refined stem, reflects Castle's Anglo-Japanese aesthetic and his highly developed technical skill in kiln firing.