Photos and reporting by Robert Kokenyesi, Ceramic Artist, Beachfront Pottery, Godfrey, IL, 62035, USA.  If you enjoyed this post, then like the post, and also like my Facebook page.    Check out Beachfront Pottery posts on Instagram @beachfrontpottery.    There is additional information about Beachfront Pottery on my web site.

The Venue

The ninth “Great River Biennale” exhibit at the Contemporary Art Museum St Louis included three artists. Only one artist had ceramic pieces in the exhibit; that was the “At Dusk” exhibit representing the works of Kahlil Robert Irving. The exhibit took place from September 11, 2020 through February 21, 2021.

The Call for Entry

Established in 2003, the Great Rivers Biennial is a collaborative exhibition program presented by CAM and the Gateway Foundation. This major initiative identifies talented emerging and mid-career artists working in the greater St. Louis metro area, provides them with financial assistance, and elevates their profile across the Midwest and national arts communities. Every two years, three winners are selected to receive $20,000 and are featured in the Great Rivers Biennial exhibition at CAM in the following summer.   The award winners were chosen by a distinguished panel of jurors following individual studio visits with ten semi-finalists. More than 80 artists applied for the Great Rivers Biennial (GRB).

The Ceramic Art Pieces

The “At Dusk” exhibit included collages that covered two walls oft he exhibit area. In this report I include only the ceramic pieces.  The exhibit statement states: “Kahlil Robert Irving observes how materials and emotions are linked, simultaneously existing as static/dynamic, heavy/light, political/anarchic, old/new. Through his practice he intends to break cultural rules that have been developed by colonialism, and aims to navigate and challenge those constructs through materials, form, and performance.”

For more of his works visit his website.