The Whole World in Our Hands

  • April 12, 2025 - 17 May, 2025
  • Stephen Lawrence Gallery

Please Note : The Galleries will be closed during the Easter holiday weekend from Friday April 18th – Monday April 21st, inclusive.

In anticipation of Earth Overshoot Day, the day each year when human demand exceeds the Earth’s resources, six women sculptors working with clay map the possibilities of this natural material which has been present through time and across cultures.

Alison Cooke | Julia Ellen Lancaster | Sam Lucas | Rosanna Martin | Jane Millar | Jacqui Ramrayka

The Whole World In Our Hands unites six UK-based women artists who use clay as a medium to reveal, rupture, resist, and reconnect. Clay holds deep historical, cultural, and economic significance – embedded layers of time, environment, and society. Across a spectrum of highly crafted artefacts to seemingly utilitarian objects these artists explore clay’s transformative power, challenging notions of value, examining personal narratives, myths and historical events, and the ongoing extraction of natural resources.

As a material, clay has documented human history, from ancient civilizations to modern technology, where its minerals remain essential. Its shape-shifting nature reflects the evolving landscapes of both the earth and the human body, bearing the marks of time, erosion, and change. The lingering dust of clay serves as a reminder of our origins and the impermanence of existence. Through their work, these artists create a dialogue between deep time, present touch, and future imagination, shaping new narratives through this ancient medium.

“Clay, its materiality and functions, are […] particular and universal: artists, museums and audiences connecting with clay hold the whole world in their hands”
– Martina Margetts.

A private viewing will be held Saturday April 12, from 4:00-6:30pm.

Associated Events:

Saturday 26 April, 11am – Walk through exhibition with artists and invited curator. No booking necessary.

Saturday 26 April, 2 – 4pm – Clay in Conversation 10: Circles with artists Sara Howard, Rosanna Martin and Georgia Haseldine (Senior Curator, V&A East Storehouse). Limited spaces. Booking via Eventbrite.

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