Claude Jones
Claude Jones is an Australian artist and ceramicist. She writes:
I received a grant that helped to enable me to undertake a 13-week ceramic residency in the Netherlands, where I acquired skills in ceramic processes and techniques, mould making and working with digital 3D printing. These new skills enabled me to create a series of ceramic sculptures examining our problematic relationship to animals. These sculptures were exhibited in solo exhibitions in the Netherlands, Italy, and Australia. In addition, the CAF grant assisted with catalogue production costs, freight, and travel costs enabling me to attend and speak about my work and animal rights ethics at each exhibition. In addition to these solo exhibitions, throughout 2013 I exhibited in several group exhibitions concerned with animal–human relationships. These exhibitions included “Animalised” at See Street gallery in Sydney, “Sentience” at Kurb gallery in Perth and “Animal Insights” at DNA gallery in Sydney, sales of which raised funds for the Australian Animal Welfare League. In 2014, my work was featured in “Animal Fanfair“—an exhibition of ten Australian artists whose work raises questions about justice, ethics, sustainability, and human accountability. I was further commissioned to write an essay for an educational package to accompany the exhibition. Since then, my work has continued to focus on examining our complex and contradictory relationship with animals. In “Bully”, at Artereal gallery in Sydney, 2016, my art attracted wide media coverage, including an article in popular vegan publication, Veg News. Following this, I was asked to create an artwork specifically to be featured on Animal Liberation Currents. Ultimately the CAF funding has assisted in skills development, the creation of new work, exhibition logistics and in marketing my work and its idea to a broader audience. My work continues to be inspired by my animal rights/vegan ethics, and I look forward to many more opportunities to discuss these ideas through my art, writing, presentations and publications.
In this video, Claude talks with CAF Fellow Victoria Reshetnikov about how she communicates her veganism through art, why she decided to work in ceramics, and how she tries to combat gun violence and violence toward animals through her art.
You can see more of Claude’s work on her website and can watch her artist video here.