Mar 19 – Apr 24, 2026
Kinship, a group exhibition of six Vancouver-based trans and gender-diverse ceramic artists curated by Jai Sallay-Carrington, runs March 19 through April 24, 2026. With Kinship, figurative ceramic practices become a means of grappling with queer and trans embodiment in all its complexity. Showcasing work by Rojina Farrokhnejad, Pedram Penhan, Cat Hart, Danya Gorodetsky, Felix Thomas, and Sallay-Carrington themself, Kinship is timed to coincide with International Transgender Day of Visibility (March 31) and is also a featured exhibition in the 2026 Canadian Clay Symposium (March 21–23). Arriving at a time when trans bodies remain highly politicized, these artists question how gender, sexuality, and desire shape one’s sense of belonging, or otherness, within culture.
Join us for an opening reception on Thursday, March 19, 5–9pm:
Join us on Sunday, March 29 at 5 pm for a free artist talk led by Sallay-Carrington and participating artist Felix Thomas. The pair will discuss their respective art practices and the many themes that run through this striking figurative ceramic exhibition:
We’re pleased to offer a pay-what-you-wish (PWYW) clay workshop, led by Kinship curator Jai Sallay-Carrington! In this 2-day workshop, Jai will lead participants through sculpting your own animal head from a pinch pot, show how to achieve facial details such as eyes, noses and expressive mouths, textures such as fur/feather/scale, and how to add features such as horns and ears.
This workshop now has extremely limited space. Participants must commit to both days (April 11 & 12). Click the registration link for more details!
ABOUT THE CURATOR:
Jai Sallay-Carrington (they/them) is a Canadian queer and transgender sculptural ceramic artist currently living in Vancouver BC. In 2014 they graduated from Concordia University with a BFA, and since then they have traveled around Canada, USA and Europe for artist residencies, to install exhibitions and teach workshops. Residencies such as C.R.E.T.A Rome in Italy, Tolne Gjæstgivergaard in Denmark and from 2023-2024 at Baltimore Clayworks, as the Lormina Salter Fellow. They have been a part of many group exhibitions, at prestigious galleries such as the Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery, Henry Art Gallery, and the Clay Center of New Orleans. Jai has had several solo exhibitions, such as Growing Pains at Pottery Northwest, Trans Passions at Baltimore Clayworks Gallery, as well as Adapting, at Maison de la Culture Côte-des-Neiges. They have been featured in publications such as CBC Exhibitionists and Ceramique: 90 Artistes Contemporarian. Jai has been awarded grants from Canada Council of the Arts, SODEC, CALQ and was a finalist for the Winifred Shantz Award for 2020 and 2021. They earned master’s degree at the University of Washington in 2023, receiving the De Cillia Graduating with Excellence award.
Community is integral for LGBTQ+ people, and we can argue that the Clay community shares that need and strength in community. The challenges and experiences that bring a powerful sense of connection to each of these communities differ, but the overlap cannot be overlooked. So, in response to the Canadian Clay Symposium’s 2026 theme, “How Hard Can It Be?” the answer is; hard! But easier with support and people to share in the experiences. – JSC
