MICHAEL RICE

Michaels’ work is very distinct in its appearance because of the range of very specialised ceramic finishes he uses. “Raku” and “Naked Raku” both involve the pieces being removed from the kiln whilst at high temperatures of up to 1000 C,

this technique forces the outer glaze to shatter and smoke fills the cracks to create unmistakable ‘memories’ of the firing. He also uses “Tera Sigillata” a material used by the ancient Romans and Greeks to give the ware a specific polished like sheen.Michael Rice is a master of clay. With a deep passion for working with natural materials, he shapes his sculptural pieces through instinct and talent, whilst simultaneously finding geometric symmetry.

Clay is a simple yet complex material. Making successful ceramics is the result of a series of a series of sequential processes, each one of which can spell catastrophe if not correctly executed. In this way, as Rice has mastered his craft, he has also learned several life lessons in getting to know his material. He credits working with clay for teaching him patience, acceptance, accuracy, repetition and failure.

As an artist, Rice began his career with an interest in drawing and sees working with clay as like drawing in three dimensions. He also speaks of clay as his lifelong companion, acknowledging it with having the ability to endlessly transform. For Rice, clay is “the perfect substance of metaphor”. It has limitless possibilities and is always malleable enough to travel with him both physically and symbolically along his artistic journey.

Rice’s practice is based in an internal drive to find self-awareness. He creates timeless pieces that have a strong emphasis on physical structure and textured surfaces. They transcend definition and cultural categorisation and stand alone as pure meditations on form and surface.

Born in the coastal town of Newcastle in Northern Ireland, some of Rice’s earliest memories are of time spent on the beach, nurturing his love of images by drawing in the sand.

He was first exposed to art at school but his practice grew from a self-driven interest in the visual world and encouragement from his parents. He graduated with a BA Hons in Ceramics in 1997 from the University of Ulster and the again in 2010 with a MA in Ceramics, his professional life has seen him working in artist studios and in educational roles all over the world.

Rice moved to Dubai in 2010 where he has taught in art departments in various schools and at the Dubai Community and Arts Centre. He is currently an associate professor of Studio Art and Sculpture at the American University of Dubai.

He has exhibited in venues all over the world and his work is held in public and private collections. He has published articles in prominent international ceramic publications such as Ceramic Review (UK) and Ceramics Art and Perception (Australia), in 2016 he was a prize winner in the Van Cleef and Arples Middle East Emerging Design Award has been a regular participant of Dubai Design Week.

Rice is a member of the International Academy of Ceramics and the IAC Unesco member for the UAE.