Viewing Self-Made: Reshaping Identities at The Foundling Museum

People have been making sense of themselves through clay for centuries; one of the world’s most ancient forms of art has represented our physical connection with earth and has long articulated the way we understanding our presence here in relation to it.

Self-Made is a fresh look at an age-old subject, exploring the work of four contemporary artists who innovate with clay in different ways: Phoebe Collings-James, Rachel Kneebone, Matt Smith and Renee So. Each artist adapts the malleable medium differently but they share a sensibility, using clay as an embodied expression of the constructed self.

This beautiful exhibition touches on class, gender, sexuality, heritage and legacy as passed on through clay – a potent reminder of how we can find new forms for ourselves in a literal, physical way, moulding the material to reflect inner worlds and experiences. This show represents an exciting connection with the Foundling Museum’s long-established mission to preserve stories around identity, care and belonging – and extends an invention to consider how we can keep reinventing ourselves, a message we all need to hear in these times.