For Immediate Release
April 8, 2003

On Thursday, April 10 from 6 to 8 p.m., the Masters Gallery in Calgary will host Compassion and Poetry: Ceramics of Lies Cosijn, an exhibition and sale of remarkable work by Dutch ceramic artist Lies Cosijn. Her diverse and beautifully designed work is sought after by private collectors and exhibited in museums around the world. Cosijn is generously donating the proceeds from the show to Aboriginal arts scholarships at The Banff Centre.

Born in Modjokerto, East Java where her Dutch father managed an iodine factory, Cosijn was heavily influenced by her upbringing in the Dutch East Indies. When the area was occupied during WWII by the Japanese - who wanted to rid all of Asia of colonialism - the family was separated and interned in prison camps across the country. After the war, when the family was released and reunited, they returned to Holland. After completing high school, Cosijn went to the Art College in Amsterdam and learned to give expression to her profound experiences through the medium of clay.

Featuring sensual ceramic figures and vessels inscribed with stories and images, Cosijn’s remarkable work is at once social commentary and exceptional craft. Her vision is inspired by the artistic traditions of diverse nations and periods ranging from the pre-Columbian figures of the Americas to contemporary European children’s drawings.

The Masters Gallery is located in Calgary at 815c, 17 Avenue S.W.

-30-