One of the first speakers invited to a TriCity Potters meeting, some five years ago, was Vin Arora. At that time he had just been hired to take over teaching and tech duties at Place des Arts from retiring June MacDonald. He was a recent Emily Carr grad at the time. We were so impressed with his enthusiasm for a recent highly influential trip to connect with family in India. One felt an immediate need to visit a country so full of colour and fine craftsmanship!

Since then Vin has become a popular teacher at Place des Arts and has invited several other potters to teach and give workshops alongside him. This is, I believe, his first solo show at Place des Arts and several of his students suggested I try to check out the show.

So one day last week I was in the Maillardville area and was pleased to spend some time there. The work is displayed in cases down the middle of the concourse and on two long walls. One is greeted by a huge arrangement of Orton cones next to a pile of ceramic cassette tapes. Vin is encouraging purchasers of the latter to take them out into the world  and document their placement.

Or one can buy a small piece of glazed kiln brick, a ‘house’, with or without an attached ceramic moth. These fill much of one wall. I think Vin is wanting us to think about the process of working with clay as much as impressing us with his ability with wheel-thrown work and cone 6 Reduction glazes. We are shown two large pieces, a jug and a lidded storage jar and nearby some of his standard functional ware.

On the other wall he has displayed some large thrown platters and plates. These are mainly in warm orange Shino colours and some have been painted with birds by his student and our TriCity Potters member Eliza Wang. If I hadn’t been alerted to this collaboration, having admired the piece she entered in our Fantastic Feast show, I would not have known she had work in Vin’s show.

Vin appeared from the ceramic studio where some students were practicing and we chatted about his show and ceramics classes there. And no, Vin, I’m afraid I won’t be teaching an evening class. June MacDonald and I started teaching there almost 30 years ago!

I have to mention that I was disappointed that Eliza’s painting on some of the work in Vin’s show was not credited as a collaboration in the show labels. And Place des Arts’ hanging committee had made no nice big sign to tell me the title of the show and the artist(s). Eliza tells me that Vin has emailed her with apologies and appreciation of her charming painting of birds.

I took photos so those of you unable to take in Vin’s show can get an idea of his work.