Edmund De Waal

Edmund de Waal (b. 1964) is a British artist and writer renowned for his minimalist porcelain installations that intertwine themes of memory, loss and cultural heritage. Born in Nottingham, England, he was introduced to ceramics at the age of five by his father, Victor de Waal, an Anglican cleric and former dean of Canterbury Cathedral. De Waal's early exposure to pottery ignited a lifelong passion for the medium. He further honed his skills during a two-year apprenticeship with Geoffrey Whiting, a student of Bernard Leach, before pursuing a degree in English literature at Trinity Hall, University of Cambridge, where he graduated with first-class honours in 1986.

In 1991, de Waal received a Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation scholarship, enabling him to study Japanese language at the University of Sheffield and ceramics at the Mejiro Ceramics studio in Tokyo. This experience deepened his appreciation for the intersection of Eastern and Western ceramic traditions.

De Waal's artistic practice is characterised by the creation of large-scale installations featuring meticulously arranged porcelain vessels. These works often explore personal and collective histories, drawing from his Jewish European heritage. Notable exhibitions include Library of Exile at the British Museum and the Warburg Institute, and Elective Affinities at The Frick Collection in New York.

In addition to his visual art, de Waal is an acclaimed author. His memoir, The Hare with Amber Eyes: A Hidden Inheritance (2010), traces the history of his Jewish ancestors and their collection of Japanese netsuke, earning him several literary awards.

De Waal's contributions to the arts have been recognised with numerous honours, including being appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2011 for services to the arts.

Edmund de Waal (b. 1964)

A short history of the shadow

EDMUND DE WAAL (B. 1964)

For Agnes Martin

EDMUND DE WAAL (B. 1964)

In the still air

Edmund de Waal (b. 1964)

K498

EDMUND DE WAAL (B. 1964)

Last Things

EDMUND DE WAAL (B. 1964)

no speaking is left in me

EDMUND DE WAAL (B. 1964)

weights and measures

Edmund De Waal

Ryōan-ji (for John Cage), VII

EDMUND DE WAAL (B. 1960)

A GROUP OF TEN VESSELS, 1996

Edmund de Waal (B.1964)

Colourfield

EDMUND DE WAAL (B. 1964)

A large bowl , circa 2004

EDMUND DE WAAL (B. 1964)

Two large open vessels, circa 1996

EDMUND DE WAAL (B. 1964)

A lidded vessel , circa 2000

EDMUND DE WAAL (B. 1964)

A lidded jar, a bowl and a plinth , circa 2004

EDMUND DE WAAL (B. 1964)

give me the splendid, silent sun, II

EDMUND DE WAAL (B. 1964)

‘A jar for a branch’ , circa 2001

EDMUND DE WAAL (B. 1964)

Two teapots and two cups , circa 2001

EDMUND DE WAAL (B. 1964)

A set of three pots , circa 2005

EDMUND DE WAAL (B. 1964)

give me the splendid, silent sun

EDMUND DE WAAL (B. 1964)

'South South West', 2013

A SET OF THREE EDMUND DE WAAL (B. 1964) GLAZED PORCELAIN JUGS

CIRCA 1995

EDMUND DE WAAL (B. 1964)

in touch, I

EDMUND DE WAAL (B. 1964)

I am a kind of artisan

AN ENGLISH CONTEMPORARY STUDIO PORCELAIN TEA AND COFFEE SET,

MARK OF EDMUND DE WAAL, SECOND HALF 20TH CENTURY,

Edmund de Waal (1964 - )

AN EDMUND DE WAAL (b.1964) PORCELAIN AND WIRE TEAPOT AND COVER

EARLY 21ST CENTURY

AN EDMUND DE WAAL (B.1964) STONEWARE VASE

CIRCA 1990

AN EDMUND DE WAAL (B.1964) PORCELAIN BOWL

CIRCA 1990S

Edmund de Waal (1964 - )

EDMUND DE WAAL (B. 1964)

Lidded Jar

EDMUND DE WAAL (B. 1964)

in touch, I