Holly Stevenson – interview

London-based ceramic artist Holly Stevenson discusses her recent and upcoming projects in an interview with Studio International. She had a joint exhibition, "A Hyena Wore My Face Last Night," at C+N Gallery Canepaneri in Milan, with works titled after Leonora Carrington's short story "The Debutante," and a solo exhibition, "Tracing the Irretraceable," at the Freud Museum in London in collaboration with the Jane McAdam Freud Estate. Stevenson reflects on the resurgence of surrealism, particularly feminist perspectives, and the influence of psychoanalysis on her work, noting coincidental timing with a major Carrington exhibition at Palazzo Reali in Milan.

This interview matters because it highlights the ongoing revival of female surrealist artists, a significant cultural shift from the historical focus on male surrealists and female muses. Stevenson's work and commentary connect contemporary ceramic practice to psychoanalytic themes and the broader art world's current fascination with surrealism, as seen in major exhibitions of Leonora Carrington, Lee Miller, and Ithell Colquhoun. The discussion underscores how art movements respond to global crises and feminist reclamation of art history.