Ikon presents Break the Mould, a major exhibition positioning ceramics at the centre of contemporary artistic experimentation. As the concluding exhibition in a trilogy examining craft and art‑school pedagogies, it transforms the gallery into an active studio‑laboratory where visitors can observe artists at work, explore process‑driven installations and participate in hands‑on making.
Bringing together established and emerging practitioners, the exhibition features resident artists Jack Ky Tan, Halima Cassell and Roo Dhissou, who will develop new work live in the space. They are joined by artists Kara Chin, Mark Essen and Laurie Ramsell, each challenging traditional definitions of craft and embracing clay’s expressive and conceptual potential.
Highlights include Tan’s A Ceremony for the Unborn Future (2025), which reimagines Shang‑dynasty urns through dialogue with AI systems; Essen’s work inspired by medieval Deritend ware and Digbeth’s street‑art culture; Ramsell’s kiln‑shaped forms shaped by chance; and Chin’s imagined “future fossils.” Dhissou presents Heal, Home, Hmmm (2025), a walk‑in pavilion constructed using reclaimed HS2 clay and Punjabi mud‑building techniques, incorporating a sound installation made with Oliver Romoff.
The exhibition also collaborates with two Birmingham ceramics workshops — Sundragon Community Pottery (Balsall Heath) and Modern Clay (Digbeth) — bringing local craft communities into the gallery.
Through live making, experimental approaches and community collaboration, Break the Mould celebrates clay as a material that transforms — linking history, place and future creative possibilities.
Break the Mould press release
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