OLDHAM, UK 1992

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Connor Coulston received his MA from the Royal College of Art in 2017. His achievements include being selected as one of 50 artists commissioned by Sky Arts to explore what it means to be British in the post-Brexit era. He was a finalist for the John Ruskin Prize and the Young Masters Maylis Grand Ceramic Prize, and won the prestigious Ingram Prize for his work Sometimes, Connor, it feels like I'm just waiting to die - Depressed Ewer.

In 2021, he was awarded second place in the national British Ceramics Biennial competition for his installation If We Laugh, Then Let Us Be Guilty. More recently, he has participated in high-profile group exhibitions alongside renowned figures such as Phyllida Barlow, Louise Bourgeois and Sir Anthony Caro.

Coulston's practice can be defined as an ongoing articulation of the relationship between self-deprecating humor as a tool of inquiry, the mutability of clay and the wild imaginary. Coulston's work stems from a deep fascination with kitschy ceramic ornaments that might be found in thrift stores, museums, or decorating a mantelpiece at a grandparent's house.

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These objects, often considered trivial, are subverted by the artist through a rigorous exploration of their legacy and the hidden narratives they contain. Through this process, Coulston links these historical references with symbols of contemporary struggles he has experienced firsthand, such as depression, queer identity, and his grandmother's troubled love for far-right politicians.

The result is surreal and kitschy sculptures that, at first reading, seem to communicate lightness and humor, but gradually reveal critical and dark overtones once the viewer has been seduced by a false sense of security.