Jacob Chan's Foo Dog on show in gallery that 'defined' his journey

Jacob Chan said the piece was "a combination of my memories and a nod to the existing collection"

An artist has said he feels "honoured" to have a piece in the gallery that "defined my journey as a ceramicist".

Jacob Chan said his Foo Dog work was "a nod" to pieces he had enjoyed during "countless" visits to Birkenhead's Williamson Art Gallery and Museum.

He said it was inspired by memories and was a nod to the existing collection.

The gallery said foo dogs were traditional Chinese statues that stand as entrance guardians and, as such, the work would be placed in the foyer.

The Wirral artist, who reached the final of Channel 4's The Great Pottery Throwdown in 2020, said his work has been influenced by a duo of foo dogs already in the Williamson's collection.

"The Williamson has defined my journey as a ceramicist as I have been influenced by the permanent collections and countless shows and exhibitions that have been on display over the decades," he said.

"The piece I have made is a combination of my memories and a nod to the existing collection of works displayed throughout the gallery and hidden in the archives beneath."

'Deeper exploration'

A gallery representative said the work, which was made from stoneware and soda, had been created "using sections of individually thrown ginger jars, which have been cut up and pieced back together to create the shape and form of this mythical creature".

"Its design pays homage to personal experiences Chan has had at the Williamson over the years," they said.

They said the base displayed "an entwining story of decals", which included homages to events such as the Oxton Art Fair and patterns from the Della Robbia Pottery Collection.

Chan said that collection had "had always captured my curiosity and been an influential factor in my journey as a ceramicist".

The gallery said the dog's fan-tail was "made of porcelain, decorated with decals and gilded with 24-carat gold leaf"

The gallery representative said the dog's fan-tail took inspiration from "deeper exploration of the Williamson's collections and archives".

"On one research visit, Chan came across a collection of beautifully decorated and carved fans," they added.

"Made of porcelain, decorated with decals and gilded with 24-carat gold leaf, the tail incorporates their designs and patterns, as a nod to the craft and skill involved."

The sculpture was funded with a grant from The Arts Society Wirral.

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