Lot #99: Signed Hand Made Pottery Plate by the late BC Artist Gary Merkel

1945-2023 Gary Merkel was an incredibly inventive, self-taught ceramic artist, who created mostly porcelain, wildly decorated creations in his Montreal and Victoria studios. He hand built his work, finding the process unrestrictive and limitless, and is best known for his fantasy pitchers and flat, purely decorative teapots. His bright, bold colours were treated with a transparent glaze that allowed the true finesse of his pieces to shine. Merkel began working with clay in 1975 while attending college in Thunder Bay, Ontario, eventually moving west and establishing his own studio near Victoria, BC in 1986. He exhibited throughout North America, including SOFA in New York and Chicago, as well as in Japan and France. His work is housed in the private and public collections of the Art Gallery of Victoria and the Claridge Collection in Montreal. Merkel was a member of the BC Potters Guild, and the innovative pottery group “Fired Up!”. This piece measures 12.5 x 9.3- at widest points Pickup category timeslot {A}