Box with Fish Relief

About Box with Fish Relief

This contemporary ceramic box by Bruce Cochrane has a fish design on its lid.

Internationally recognized for his bold artistic vision, Bruce Cochrane has earned the reputation as one of Canada’s finest ceramicists. His eclectic dynamic forms are strong, solid and aesthetically pleasing. He favours organic shapes and his habit of gas or wood firing his clay results in distinctive textures and colours.
This is one of a series of functional boxes with lids Cochrane made using a combination of slabs, molded sections and hand thrown clay. The lid is adorned with three fishes created by “cutting through the surface of the clay wall in its firm state and pushing it outward then filling it in with narrow slabs of clay. The interior of the lid will show the negative spaces of the exterior shapes.” The lid is a rich, creamy colour and the base a contrasting golden brown.

“The objects no matter how simple or complex, are meant to be experienced on a physical and contemplative level.” Bruce Cochrane

“No matter how elaborate Cochrane’s work becomes, it is safe to say that at the core of everything he makes is the idea of functionality—an idea he fell in love with the very first time he touched clay.” Jessica Cabe, Ceramics Monthly

Bruce Cochrane was born in Vancouver. His family moved to Montreal and there he was first introduced to ceramics in high school. Cochrane continued his education at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design where he obtained a BFA. In the late seventies he acquired his MFA from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University. Returning to Ontario, he taught ceramics at Sheridan College in Ontario from 1978-2010. He continues to hold workshops and exhibit his work internationally. In a career that spans fifty years, Cochrane has received numerous awards over the years and been nominated several times for the prestigious Governor General’s Award. His work has been exhibited internationally and can be found in collections at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art in Toronto and the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Ottawa. He is a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts (RCA). Bruce Cochrane’s home and studio are in Markdale, Ontario.