Would you donate the ashes of a loved one to become part of a work of art?

Internationally renowned ceramic artist Julian Stair plans to create a series of pots from clay – incorporating the ashes of people who have died during the pandemic.

The pots, or cinerary jars, will then go on show at the Sainsbury Centre at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, in an exhibition called Art, Death and the Afterlife.

The artist said it will explore themes of death and grief, and commemorate people lost during the pandemic.

In preparation for creating the urns Julian met members of Norwich Death Café, a local group dedicated to dispelling taboos around dying. It encourages people to discuss death in an open, non-judgmental environment.

Su Hines of Norwich Death Cafe called it 'An informal space where people come together and talk about death over tea and cake with a view to helping us all make the most of our finite lives.

"The people who come along to these events span a wide variety of ages and backgrounds and the conversations are always very stimulating and also life affirming. Anyone who thinks that attending a Death Cafe might be a rather morbid affair may be pleasantly surprised!

"I feel there is something rather special that happens when people (often strangers) talk about death. It brings us into a deeper sense of connection with each other, this common ground, that we are mortal.

"This event was especially interesting as we took a break to view a piece of Julian’s work - Monumental Jar VIII. This lead us into further conversation."

Julian also held an event at the Sainsbury Centre for medics, academics and people involved in counselling.

Although the Sainsbury Centre exhibition is a response to the pandemic, the ashes do not have to come from someone who has died of, or with, Covid. “We think it would be too narrow and discriminatory to narrow donation to people who have died from Covid or even within its timeframe although the pandemic was the spur for the exhibition,” said Julian. “My intention was to address the social nervousness and taboos around death with a specific lens on the terrible toll the pandemic has had on the families and friends of the 200,000 people who have died in the UK or the 6.5 million people worldwide.

“I don’t think the victims of the pandemic , let alone the survivors, have received appropriate recognition.”

Julian’s work has focused on the connections between ceramics and death for many years and has included previously creating cinerary jars as tributes and commissions, using the pots to communicate loss and grief, as well as celebrating the lives of the people commemorated.

In 2012 he made a jar in memory of a relative, calling it Reliquary for a Common Man, and went on to commemorate other people in his work.

Now he is hoping Norfolk people will donate the ashes of loved ones who have died during the pandemic to be incorporated into pots which will go on show at the Sainsbury Centre in March.

Each donation of ashes will be linked to an individual, identified, pot, taking some inspiration from the life of the person. Some of the ashes will be contained within each urn, but other pots will also have ashes incorporated into the clay, all depending on the agreement of the donors.

The shapes of Julian’s jars are based on the human form and the Norfolk exhibition will include four life-size urns alongside mid-sized pieces and smaller pots created from donated ashes.

“Assuming I have images of the donors I will try and reflect them in some way in the form of the work,” said Julian. “The theme for all the work will be figural vessels from small to monumental, all intended to be used as cinerary jars (an archaeological term) or the more common phrase funerary urns. Some smaller works will be ‘embodied’ ie have cremated ash mixed into the clay to specifically commemorate the people who died as well hold their cremated ash.

“These people will acknowledged by inclusion of images and biographical details within the exhibition.”

At the end of the exhibition, which might tour to other venues, the works will either be donated to the family or friends of each person, or to the Sainsbury Centre. “This will be decided between the donors and the Sainsbury Centre,” said Julian.

The gallery already has 18 of Julian’s works in its collection. “Sir Robert and Lady Lisa Sainsbury collected my work very early in my career,” said Julian.

It means he feels a special connection with the gallery, created for the art collection of Sir Robert and Lady Sainsbury and including masterpieces by Pablo Picasso, Edgar Degas, Francis Bacon, Jacob Epstein, Henry Moore and Alberto Giacometti.


“It perfectly illustrates the theme of memorial and commemoration with wonderful objects from all around the world, and over a period of 7,000 years,” he said. “It is a rare museum that holds examples of both ethnographic and contemporary art while offering a progressive exhibition programme.”

Julian also has work in more than 30 public collections including the Victorian and Albert Museum and the British Museum in London and museums and galleries in the United States, Japan, the Netherlands and Germany.

Anyone interested in donating ashes, or finding out more about the process, can contact Julian by emailing studio@julianstair.com or calling 020 8693 4877.

The exhibition Julian Stair: Art, Death and the Afterlife will open at the Sainsbury Centre in March 2023.