Mud Matters is a spectacle of miniature vignettes that are both whimsical and pensive in nature. Charley Farrero and Evan Quick have a similar approach to their making process. They assemble small clay elements into a 3-dimensional ceramic collage. These playful elements entice the viewer to investigate further and allow us to see the deeper meaning behind their works.

Charley Farrero:
Originally from Paris, France, Charley Farrero has worked as a ceramic artist since 1972. He studied Fine Arts in Regina SK, and currently lives and works as an artist in Meacham, Saskatchewan. Farrero draws on his own experience as a francophone immigrant to a rural Saskatchewan Ukrainian community to address universal observance of discrimination, intolerance and bigotry. Works like “Chez Marie Antoinette”, “Chester’s Party”, “Mice Dinner” and “Foxtrot” present an intoxicating mixture of nostalgia, dark humour, incisive parody, and everyday life. “My work is my statement… I am attracted by all ceramic processes, and I meander from one to another frequently with dedicated enthusiasm”.

Evan Quick (1950-2023):
After a 35-year career with Air Canada, Evan Quick used his golden years to focus on his practice in ceramics, combining meticulous attention to detail and technique. Having spent his life in the prairies, the whimsical worlds Quick created use metaphor as social commentary that is both lyrical and distinctly Saskatchewan. His structures are lavishly layered and often include subtle elements which include concealed narratives and creative excursions. His works emerged from his extraordinary imagination and are often richly populated with historical allusions and cleverly understated social and political observations.

Special thanks to the Quick Family and to Deborah Potter for the completion of some of Evan’s beautiful work, as well as SK Arts.