Delia’s retrospective focuses on her early oeuvre dating back to the period when she lived and worked as a full-time artist in former Yugoslavia. Featuring an expansive collection of early works that have been in storage at her old studio since her relocation to Singapore in 1992. Several of these pieces in the show clinched awards at various exhibitions and ceramic triennials in the past. The retrospective offers insight into her early influences and the enduring themes that have fascinated her throughout her career, mainly genesis, growth, ageing, and natural transformation.

One can draw parallels between these themes and the ceramic-making process. The metamorphosis of clay, from raw material to glazed sculptures, reflects the growth and transformation found in nature. Some of the works in the exhibition that dates back to the early 80s were made in a factory for electroceramics in the Serbian town of Aranđelovac. While the others were fired in Delia’s first studio during the late 70s with an imported kiln from Germany.

The exhibition charts her artworks chronologically and is grouped by their forms and the themes that inspire them. Delia’s retrospective showcases the beginning of her artistic journey and her dedication to clay and the ceramic arts.

Photography by Zoran Jovanovic-Macak