What Holds

Exhibition Proposal:

What Holds: — Ceramic Boxes and the Language of Containment

Statement

What Holds explores the enduring allure of the ceramic box and lidded form—not merely as utilitarian objects, but as vessels of meaning, ritual, and artistic expression. Across cultures and centuries, the act of containment has carried profound significance: from the practical need to store and protect, to the symbolic safeguarding of memory, identity, secrecy, and spirit.

In contemporary ceramics, this form continues to provoke: precise and imperfect, functional and symbolic, concealed and revealed. What Holds invites viewers into the tension between interior and exterior, between the known and the hidden. The lid, in this context, is more than a closure—it is a threshold. It shapes perception, interaction, and expectation.

Artists featured in this exhibition engage with the lidded form through a range of approaches:

  • Some lean into the discipline of function—crafting impeccably fitted lids, refined forms, and surface treatments that speak to tradition and utility.

  • Others subvert those expectations—allowing irregularity, gesture, or abstraction to interrupt the notion of control or containment altogether.

At its heart, this exhibition asks:
What does it mean to hold, to protect, to conceal, or to release?

Key Themes Explored

  • Utility & Form
    How does functionality shape aesthetics? Where does the desire for beauty disrupt utility?

  • Secrecy & Revelation
    The lid as a metaphor: How do we engage with what's hidden? How do artists choreograph the act of opening?

  • Tradition & Innovation
    From ancient burial jars to minimalist design objects—how are artists reinterpreting and recontextualizing these historical forms?

  • The Symbolism of the Box
    As containers of memory, identity, ritual, and loss, lidded forms hold space for human complexity. What stories do these vessels tell—and what do they choose to keep silent?

Historical Context

The tradition of lidded ceramic forms spans millennia. From ancient burial urns to Japanese jubako boxes—stackable bento trays designed for ritual and practicality—these vessels have long balanced function with symbolism. Across time, they’ve been used to preserve food, hold sacred items, or serve as gifts that communicate status, sentiment, or spiritual belief.

This exhibition situates contemporary interpretations within that legacy, showing how today’s ceramicists inherit, transform, and sometimes rebel against those histories.

Exhibition Format

What Holds follows a hybrid exhibition model, featuring:

Five invited artists—each selected for their connection to Sheridan College and for their contribution to the field of contemporary ceramics with a direct connection to Sheridan College—alongside additional Canadian and international artists selected through an open call.

This format creates a dialogue between established and emerging voices, between institutional legacy and open exploration. By bridging education, tradition, and contemporary inquiry, the exhibition offers a layered reflection on what we choose to hold—and what we pass on and how we shape the future of craft.

Open Call for Ceramic Artists

What Holds — Ceramic Boxes and the Language of Containment
 On view September 25 – October 22, 2025 | Vessels + Sticks Gallery, Toronto

Vessels + Sticks invites submissions for the open call portion of What Holds, a group exhibition exploring the box and lidded form in contemporary ceramic practice. This show considers containment as both function and metaphor—asking: What does it mean to hold, to protect, to conceal, or to reveal?

This is an opportunity to exhibit in our newly opened Toronto gallery alongside a select group of invited artists—celebrating the box not only as an object, but as a language of memory, ritual, and imagination.

Exhibition Details

  • Exhibition Title: What Holds – Ceramic Boxes and the Language of Containment

  • Exhibition Dates: September 25 – October 22, 2025

  • Location: Vessels + Sticks, Toronto (Avenue Rd. gallery space)

Eligibility & Submission Guidelines

  • Open to: Ceramic artists at all career stages

  • Works submitted: 1 or 2 works per artist

  • Works must be:

    • Ceramic or ceramic-dominant in material

    • Created within the last 3 years

    • Lidded, box-like, or conceptually exploring the theme of containment

  • Submit 3–5 images per work (including detail and overall views)

  • Required info for each submission:

    • Title, materials, dimensions, year made

    • Suggested retail price (if for sale)

  • Additional documents:

    • Artist statement (max 200 words)

    • Artist bio (100–150 words)

    • Current CV (PDF format preferred)

Criteria

All submissions will be reviewed by me, Jennifer Kerbel Poirier (gallery owner). I’m committed to thoughtfully assembling a strong, balanced exhibition that reflects the range of interpretations this theme invites. Each work will be considered on its own merits, as well as how it fits within the overall show.

Works will be evaluated on:

  • Conceptual strength and relevance to the exhibition theme

  • Originality and clarity of artistic voice

  • Quality of form, surface, and execution

  • Engagement with ceramic tradition and/or innovation

  • Ability to hold space, metaphorically or physically

What Selected Artists Receive

  • Inclusion in the in-gallery and online exhibition

  • Works presented alongside a roster of established, invited artists

  • Professional documentation and promotional exposure

  • All works will be available for sale through Vessels + Sticks (commission split to be shared upon acceptance)

  • Artists will be credited across all media and marketing platforms

  • Opportunities for future collaborations and features through the gallery

Fees

  • No fee to apply.

  • Shipping costs to be covered by selected artists.

  • Artworks can be picked up by the artist after the exhibition period or they will continue to be available for sale via the gallery.
    Commission for sold works will be 30% to the gallery.

Key Dates

  • Call Opens: Tuesday, June 17, 2025

  • Image Submission Deadline: Sunday, August 10, 2025

  • Artists Notified: Monday, August 18, 2025

  • Work Delivery Deadline: Monday, September 15, 2025

  • Exhibition Opens: Thursday, September 25, 2025

  • Exhibition Closes: Wednesday, October 22, 2025

Please send all information to info@vesselsandsticks.com. One email containing all information would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.