Art lovers, curious visitors and ceramics collectors can start making plans to visit Spier Wine Farm’s historic Old Wine Cellar for Grounded Practice, a new ceramics exhibition that opened on Monday 26 May.
Curated by Tamlin Blake, chief curator at Spier Arts Trust, the exhibition features 63 ceramic artworks by 42 artists from across South Africa, each one thoughtfully selected to explore themes of stability, sustainability and self-reflection.
Grounded Practice offers more than a showcase of beautiful objects; it’s a timely conversation about what it means to feel rooted in a world of change. Rather than dictate a theme from the outset, Blake waited to see what ideas emerged organically from the artists’ submissions.
“What came through, almost overwhelmingly, was a sense of instability, personally, politically, environmentally,” she explained. “Many artists were using their practice to find their footing again, to re-establish a sense of balance and belonging, where the title Grounded Practice comes from.”
Central to this year’s exhibition is the material itself. “Clay is a potent and enduring material in human civilisation,” Blake related. “It’s often seen as a metaphor for creativity, malleability and human potential. But once it’s fired and becomes ceramic, it also represents permanence and resilience.”
For many of the artists in Grounded Practice, clay offers not just a physical medium, but a space of emotional release. “Using clay in a creative space is soothing and healing,” Blake said. “It’s meditative, and many artists find it helps them ground themselves and find their centre again.”
Clay also connects people to the earth. “It’s a direct link to the land,” Blake added. “Many of the artworks in this show ask us to consider our impact and remind us of our responsibility as stewards of nature.”
That message resonates deeply at Spier, where regeneration isn’t a side project but a way of being. From regenerative farming and ecological restoration to sending zero waste to landfill, Spier is constantly working towards a gentler, more conscious relationship with the land. Grounded Practice embodies this ethos, offering a creative reflection on what it means to live and create sustainably.
The exhibition, which runs until Sunday 14 September, presents a range of work that will appeal to a diverse audience. Some pieces delve into deep conceptual territory, while others are whimsical or visually striking.
• Grounded Practice is open to the public daily from 09:00 to 17:00. Admission is free. For more details, visit www.spier.co.za
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