Magdalene Odundo
It takes an artist to guide us down a road that meanders purposefully, to take in works of art that normally seem far apart. Continuing the exploration of objects presented in her major exhibition The Journey of Things (2019), here Magdalene Odundo DBE focusses on a transformative early part of her artistic journey, in Cambridge. Fifty years ago, Odundo left Kenya to study at Cambridge School of Art, where an inspirational pottery teacher first introduced her to ceramics. Visiting the city’s museums, Odundo experienced the versatility of clay and its potential as a medium.
Spines, necks and pregnant bellies
In this exhibition, Odundo presents her selection of ceramics from Cambridge collections, works that span the globe and have remained with her throughout her career. Juxtaposing pots from Nigeria and Peru, those made in 17th-century Staffordshire and 11th-century New Mexico, Odundo deliberately disregards linear history. Instead, her own pots, dispersed throughout the display, connect the dots without proposing a historical cause-and-effect. Their references to spines, necks and pregnant bellies, the allure of a heavy curve, act as a kind of humming commentary to her exploration of what it is to be human.
Form following a function
Magdalene’s pots are quite exquisite. When we were first learning about her approach we watched videos of her discussing her work. We were very taken with the knowledge that the inside of her pots are as refined and finished as the outside. A care and attention to detail we were not expecting.
Taking the letters of her last name O D U N D O we created a word mark for the show that was our response to her forms and the outline of her pots.