We are Makers and Creators: MA Curation Subject Leader Caroline Fisher

Meet Subject Leader for MA Curation, Caroline Fisher; lecturer, curator, artist and ceramicist.

Caroline has extensive gallery experience working at both the Wellcome Collection and British Museum. We meet Caroline, to explore her gallery, the Caroline Fisher Projects. This blog serves part of our Makers and Creators photo series, showcasing our talented staff.

Tell us a bit about your practice

My practice is centred around ceramics, I have recently opened a gallery in Norwich, Caroline Fisher Projects where I show work by artists working with clay. I am interested in the crossover between functional and sculptural ceramics and discovering the many ways in which artists are currently exploring this diverse medium.

I also make functional pieces in porcelain, both thrown on the wheel and slab built. Porcelain attracts me because of its purity and fascinating history. It provides me with a smooth and fine surface to paint on, and I am interested in inventing landscapes and motifs from nature to decorate the work, always fitting this to the form of the object.

I use a range of glazes in subdued colours that I make myself, and fire to 1250 degrees Centigrade. I have recently exhibited at Wells Maltings.

How do you find your inspiration?

My inspiration is very diverse. For curatorial projects I constantly visit exhibitions, art fairs and biennials and have recently started going to ceramics oriented events such as ‘Collect’. My background in fine art means that I have a wide-ranging set of interests, and I like to visit exhibitions and events with others: the Arts Council Collection Curators Days are a great opportunity to do this.

What has been your path to this point?

I originally trained as a doctor and practiced medicine for a few years before realising my ambition to go to art school and then I completed a MA in Museum Studies.

I worked in London for a number of years at Wellcome Collection and the British Museum before returning to Norfolk to do freelance projects. Since then, I have run a residency project, curated a major exhibition for the Royal College of Physicians and the National Trust at Felbrigg Hall.

I worked as Curator of East GalleryNUA until summer 2018, initiating exhibitions with artists and partnerships with curators, galleries and organisations such as Arts Council Collection and the Norfolk and Norwich Festival.

Opening my own gallery has been a high point, I feel that I can finally put on exhibitions that truly reflect my own interests.

Do you have a dream project/goal?

To curate an exhibition abroad, for example at the Venice Biennale which I attend every two years or perhaps in Japan!

Photos by BA Photography graduate, Denisa Ilie

Work pictured is by Alice Walton and Emma Johnson

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