In November 2024, ceramist Jenni Brant embarked on an artist’s residency at the Fish Factory Creative Centre in Stöðvarfjörður, Iceland. The remoteness of this former fishing village—perched on a fjord and housing less than 200 inhabitant —offered her ample opportunity to reflect on her previous work and chart a new artistic course, inspired by the dramatic landscape, aesthetic language, and delicate flora of Iceland.

DuMA now presents a selection of the work Brant created during and in the wake of her residency. The ruggedness and relative isolation of her environment suited her artistic process, which emphasizes slow paced and detail-oriented clay work. Her 28 days spent experimenting with new materials and new concepts resulted in a familiar yet fresh direction for the artist.

Featured in this exhibition are 28 vessels and wearable ceramic works mingled with photographs, design work, and journal entries, providing an immersive experience of Brant’s residency journey. Inspired by her time in Iceland, a dynamic palette and alternate way for viewers to interact with her signature style of slip-trailed ceramics have emerged. True to her previous works in clay, the objects on view are meticulously crafted by hand and intricately decorated with slips and glazes formulated and fired in her home studio. For Brant the residency itself is an element of a larger project.

A fierce arts advocate and former director of a residency program herself, she is a vocal champion for residencies as both crucial to the evolution of an artist’s work and to a broader potential for positive community impact. As a result, she shared her stay in Iceland in real time with regular social media and blog posts that offered insights into her personal  experience and creative growth. “I’m committed to arts advocacy and fostering community through service, sharing, and education,” she writes. “Doing so is integral to my ongoing studio practice, empowering communities through infusion of the arts, just as I elevate the everyday experience through the insertion of handmade objects.

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