By Sana Rose, Contributor 
'The Empress Bottle I & II' stoneware
'FEATS OF Clay' is the title of the latest solo exhibition by veteran ceramist, Phillip Supersad.
The Manchester-born artist currently lectures in ceramic sculpture and theory at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts (EMCVPA) and is associated with the Jamaica Potters' Association (JAPA), which he once presided over. Had he continued his initial career plans, Supersad would have been a graphic designer. Fortunately, he discovered his love of clay in the mid-1970s at EMCVPA (Jamaica School of Art at the time) and since then, has come to be one of the well-known figures on the local art scene helping to shape the development of ceramics as both teacher and artist.
ROME AND AUSTRALIA
Scholarships have taken him to ceramic centres in Rome and Australia and during the 1980s he served as a research and development officer at Things Jamaica Limited and had a short stint as a consultant for the Organisation of American States (OAS) in Grenada. His time at Things Jamaica Ltd. enriched his art practice as it allowed him to research local clays. Supersad is also interested in drumming and has developed his own line of ceramic drums called 'N'JRAPI'.
The exhibition features works that are accented by glazing, painting (acrylics), incised linear figurative designs, heads and his signature touches of gold applied in bands that follow the circumference of the forms and enhance the small decorative button-like protrusions on the surfaces. His love of the clay's natural colour is evident, as he never covers his forms completely with glaze, paint or imagery. Much of the clay forms are left untouched and the striations from throwing on the potter's wheel and the grog added for reinforcement are still visible, appealing to our sense of touch. It may be that the earthy reddish brown, cream and grey tones of the clay have set the tone for his colour scheme to which subtle glazed pastel hues are added. A few pieces are given strong contrasts with black glaze and gold accents but the earthy tones remain predominant.
Supersad's ability to manipulate clay is unmistakable as his pieces exude confidence and strength of form characterised by clean, sharp lines. Like a number of his contemporaries, he maintains a traditional aesthetic that governs the basis of his forms but there is also a figurative sculptural inclination that creates a duality in his work. This has caused him to be referred to as a "sculptor who uses the wheel".
He throws vessels on the potter's wheel and goes a step further to alter the forms to a certain degree so that the objects straddle the lines of utility and sculpture. In these pieces, the wheel-thrown forms dominate the smaller sculptural elements. Simple rounded vessels and plates are embellished with comparatively more elaborate incised designs while with other pieces, the lips and necks tipped off-centre and long-locked human heads emerge from the surfaces.
CONSIDERABLY MEASURED
In The Empress Bottle I & II the heads become knobs for the lids. At times, we are treated to sculptural forms devoid of functional references such as Unsung Hero. Overall, the modifications to the forms are considerably measured, so much so that they only allow for small elements of surprise. In the end, the pieces only hint at Supersad's interest in altering our perception and experience of these familiar structures.
The exhibition continues.
