Rooted in sculpture, William Cobbing’s practice encompasses a diverse range of media, including video, photography and installation. Clay is a central material in his work, both in its raw and fired forms, which he explores through performances and the act of writing. His interest in the relationship between clay and communication is apparent in his glazed ceramic book covers, in which tactile surfaces and the pooling of glazes take precedent over the contents, echoing both tablet computers and Bronze Age clay tablets. His most recent series of ceramic sculptures comprises masks, hands and busts covered with unique glazes created by the artist during his residency at EKWC in The Netherlands, throughout the summer 2021.
Cobbing's work is held in international collections including NOMAS Foundation, Rome; MONA Museum of Old and New Art, Tasmania; Corpus Christi College, Cambridge University. He has exhibited with the Whitechapel Gallery, London; Hayward Gallery, London; Tate Liverpool; Camden Arts Centre, London; TENT, Rotterdam; Studio Voltaire, London; The Issey Miyake Foundation, Tokyo; Canopy Collections, London.
William Cobbing (b. 1974) Lives and works in London
William Cobbing
Rooted in sculpture, William Cobbing’s practice encompasses a diverse range of media, including video, photography and installation. Clay is a central material in his work, both in its raw and fired forms, which he explores through performances and the act of writing. His interest in the relationship between clay and communication is apparent in his glazed ceramic book covers, in which tactile surfaces and the pooling of glazes take precedent over the contents, echoing both tablet computers and Bronze Age clay tablets. His most recent series of ceramic sculptures comprises masks, hands and busts covered with unique glazes created by the artist during his residency at EKWC in The Netherlands, throughout the summer 2021.
Cobbing's work is held in international collections including NOMAS Foundation, Rome; MONA Museum of Old and New Art, Tasmania; Corpus Christi College, Cambridge University. He has exhibited with the Whitechapel Gallery, London; Hayward Gallery, London; Tate Liverpool; Camden Arts Centre, London; TENT, Rotterdam; Studio Voltaire, London; The Issey Miyake Foundation, Tokyo; Canopy Collections, London.