Australian Potter Mines MOA’s Extensive Treasures to Present Pleased to Meet You: Introductions by Gwyn Hanssen Pigott

VANCOUVER, BC – The Museum of Anthropology (MOA) at UBC explores compelling new pairings of timeless treasures in its boundary-breaking exhibition Pleased to Meet You: Introductions by Gwyn Hanssen Pigott on display from November 3, 2012 to March 24, 2013. A first for MOA, this exhibition examines new aesthetic perspectives that develop when artifacts are removed from their historical and cultural contexts, and re-assembled into groupings based solely on colour, form, shape, and pattern.

Working outside of her ceramic specialization for the first time in her longstanding career, internationally acclaimed Australian potter Gwyn Hanssen Pigott has curated a selection of more than 100 pieces from within MOA’s extensive collection of international treasures, in addition to 28 stunning new ceramic works from Hanssen Pigott’s own collection. Selected pieces include swatches of tapa cloth, a string of glass beads, a red lacquer tray, a small petal-flared porcelain bowl, and a wooden cup, among many other prized artifacts.

“Gwyn Hanssen Pigott is a true master at bringing together her individual signature pieces – bowls, bottles, vases, and cups – into stunning still-life groupings,” says Carol E. Mayer, Head of MOA’s Curatorial Department. “We are thrilled to have Gwyn’s artistic expertise featured for the first time at MOA in this exciting and joyful re-assembling of our collection. By breaking down contextual barriers in these unconventional groupings, Gwyn is inviting the public to discover a different sort of delight and see objects freed from all labels and categories.”

Hanssen Pigott has been working as a potter in Australia, England, and France for more than half a century. Awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for service to the arts in 2002, Hanssen Pigott has exhibited her work extensively throughout Australia, America, Europe, and Asia, and has works in major collections, both museum and private, throughout the world.

Utilizing her revered creative grouping process in Pleased to Meet You, Hanssen Pigott studied hundreds of diverse objects in MOA’s collection to introduce new concepts, pairings, and relationships between a group of thoughtfully chosen works. Hanssen Pigott has developed an exhibit that celebrates the pure, lighthearted beauty that accompanies the interrelationships between form, shape, colour, and pattern.


Exhibition Opening Reception at MOA
Friday, Nov. 2 from 7-9pm.
Public are welcome to attend.

Artist Talk at MOA
Saturday, Nov. 3 from 1-3pm
Join Australian potter Gwyn Hanssen Pigott and exhibit co-curators Carol E. Mayer and Susan Jeffries for presentations about the exhibition Pleased to Meet You. Following the discussion, the artist will conduct a tour of the exhibition.

The Museum of Anthropology (MOA) at the University of British Columbia (UBC) is world-renowned for its collections, research, teaching, public programs, and community connections. Founded in 1949 in the basement of the Main Library at UBC, its mission is to inspire understanding of and respect for world arts and cultures.

Today, Canada's largest teaching museum is located in a spectacular building overlooking mountains and sea. MOA houses more than 38,000 ethnographic objects and 535,000 archaeological objects, including many, which originate from the Northwest Coast of British Columbia. The Koerner Gallery features one of Canada’s most important European ceramics collections, while MOA's recently opened Multiversity Galleries provide public access to more than 10,000 objects from around the world. The Audain Gallery and the O’Brian Gallery, MOA's temporary exhibition spaces showcase travelling exhibits as well as those developed in-house.

Museum of Anthropology
University of British Columbia
6393 NW Marine Drive
Vancouver, BC

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