On the banks of Regent’s Canal, the Ragged School Museum has witnessed almost two centuries of change in East London, as a succession of communities have come and gone, each leaving their own trace on the urban landscape.
It's why ceramic artist Matthew Raw chose the building for his first solo show, Clad – a study of urban evolution, and the migrant populations that drive it, in sculptural ceramic tiles.
Raw displayed eight specially created artworks in clay, terracotta and earthenware. Each piece was a response to the "concept of the urban grid – the framework of streets, buildings, paving stones and indeed tiles, that shapes the cities around us – and the ways in which these grids are transformed by the movement of people over time."
The eight works vary in scale and form. 'Individual Motives' is composed of large, hand-rolled tiles featuring details of etchings found in Dr Barnado’s Night & Day journal, published at the time he founded the Ragged School.
Another piece, 'Panel Discussion', comprises four three-dimensional tiles inspired by a 15th-century Italian shrine and featuring a quote from Victorian journalist Henry Mayhew in hand-formed clay lettering.
'Fearful Symmetry' directly addresses the issue of who creates urban grids, while 'Top Table' explores the connections between empire and exploitation.
Before the launch of the exhibition, Raw transported the works from his studio in Hoxton to the Ragged School Museum by a converted barge along Regent's Canal.
This unusual journey represents a link to the history of his craft – Britain's father of industrial ceramics, Josiah Wedgwood, was instrumental in the development of the nation's canals, as they were the safest mode of transport for his pottery. Raw said: "I think it's important to understand the past so that you can respect where the future is taking us."
Photography by Marina Castagna
