The Saskatchewan Craft Council is excited to present Scavengers and Outcasts, an exhibition of new sculptural ceramics by Debra Kuzyk and Ray Mackie of Lucky Rabbit Pottery (www.kuzykmackie.com) from Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia. This exhibition includes thrown pots with sculpted lids and underglaze decoration focusing on the down-and-out of Saskatchewan wildlife.

Although the artists have lived in the Maritimes for most of their adult lives, both were born and raised in Saskatchewan. They both discovered pottery at the University of Saskatchewan, and then both attended the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (NSCAD) in Halifax. Since 1999 — when Lucky Rabbit Pottery settled in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia — Kuzyk and Mackie have been full time ceramic artists. Now they’re coming home for an exhibition at the Saskatchewan Craft Council.

“This show is a kind of homecoming for us. We are thrilled to show here in Saskatoon, and in many ways, the work has brought back strong memories of Prairie landscapes and the animals which inhabit them,” writes Mackie.

“Creatures brave enough to enter human habitat are really messengers from the wild, reminding us that we share this earth with all forms of life. Those who do not please us suffer greatly. From the beginning of recorded history, potters have worked with images of animals, and we follow in this great tradition, only this time we bring to mind those least loved among us, and elevate them to the top of our pedestals,” writes Kuzyk.

When the artists began collaborating in 1992, it became clear that Ray would make pots and Debra would focus on decoration and sculpting. That division has persisted, while Ray has made forays into mosaics, sculpting and painting, as well. Fairly early on they began working with images of plants and animals. Ray’s pots, which are influenced by classical Chinese forms, have become pedestals for various birds, fish, and mammals which, in most instances, are sculpted by Debra.

* The artists gratefully acknowledge the assistance of Arts Nova Scotia.