Maak Contemporary Ceramics
6 Wellington Cottages, Warren Row, Berkshire, London RG10 8QX
+44 0-01628-290-050
About Auction House
Maak are the market leading auction specialists and art consultants dedicated to the foremost international ceramic art of the 20th and 21st century. Maak was established in 2009 by Marijke Varrall-Jones, who has over a decade of market experience at the very highest level as former Head of Contemporary Ceramics at Bonhams.Auction Previews & News
3 Results
Auction ResultAuction dedicated to solo collection attracts record audiences
Annie Turner (British, b.1958), 'Mussel Box'. Sold for: £1,140. LONDON.- On Thursday 14 May, Maak’s auction dedicated to the collection of Dayabandhu attracted the highest rate of new registrations and some exceptionally strong results. With 93% sold by lot and 153% by value, the overwhelming pattern showed pieces that resonated most closely to Dayabandhu’s unifying eye and understanding for texture and form exceeding their estimates. “Studio ceramics are proving to be a welcome distraction from the current challenges we face due to COVID-19. On Thursday 14th May, there seemed to be a momentary sense of normality indicated by strong results from this sale. We are delighted the sale was able to celebrate the remarkable and dedicated passion of Dayabandhu” - Marijke Varrall-Jones, Founder Director, Maak Exceptional interest and strong prices were witnessed once again for John Ward whose Oval Pot with Dipped Rim (Lot 83) sold for £13,200. Other contemporary makers who exceeded the estimates, in this the secondary market, included Akiko Hirai with her piece Moon Jar (Lot 167. Estimate £700-£900) which sold for £6,600 and Ewen Henderson whose Tea Bowls (Lot 71 – Lot 75) each sold for over £800. Shozo Michikawa, another maker whose pieces resonated well within the collection for their rugged form, continued the theme with some record prices reached. Michikawa’s Twisted Bottle Vase (Lot 126. Estimate £700-£900) sold for £3,840 and Twisted Vase, £2,640. The Unifying Eye sale celebrated the support for makers and collecting passion of Michael Evans, also known by his Buddhist name Dayabandhu. Having built the collection up over the last 30 to 40 years, he amassed some some 1200 objects that he cherished and lived with in his South London apartment. He was well known selecting works that fully represented the core and unique quality in every makers work. Although many of his pieces celebrated the raw materials used in ceramics, he also chose the deeply quiet pieces by contemporary artist Edmund de Waal. Several of these porcelain works sold above their estimates such as the 1995 piece, Lidded Vessel (Lot 148. Estimate £1,500 - £2,000) which fetched £9,000. Like all working…
Auction PreviewUnifying Eye | The Dayabandhu Collection
The upcoming Maak Contemporary Ceramics’ sale will bring a selection of ceramics from the personal collection of Michael Evans, also known by his Buddhist name Dayabandhu. A former mechanical engineer and local government officer, Dayabandu’s interest in ceramics started 60 years ago when he visited two maiden aunts after church and admired their Doulton Lambeth stoneware pots. The sale will include more than 150 pieces from his collection. An oval pot by John Ward is among the highlighted items, featuring a matte black and white design over a textured surface and undulating elliptical rim. Regarded as one of Britain’s greatest potters, Ward’s style is influenced by ancient pre-glaze pottery from China and Cypress. Also featured in the sale are two works by Gillian Lowndes, often considered one of the most daring and radical voices of her generation. To develop her Abstract Expressionist style, she brought together a range of materials and found objects. One of her works, titled Scrollscape with Nail, was executed in 2003 with layered stoneware spirals, metal nails, and fine metal threads. Also available is Lowndes’ 2005 piece titled Under Princelet Street, a sculpture made from a fork, wire, lead strip, and ceramic material. Browse the complete catalog and register to bid on Maak Contemporary Ceramics.
Auction IndustryMaak confirms their spring auction, Unifying Eye: The Dayabandhu Collection
Michael Evans, South London, installation shot. LONDON.-Maak confirms their Spring auction, Unifying Eye: The Dayabandhu Collection will go ahead with bids closing Thursday 14th May. In light of COVID-19, the auction will now be dedicated to the 200 or so pieces from this exceptional single collection. Maak has also announced a new initiative, two additional curated auctions scheduled for June, Form Over Function: The Abstract Vessel and July, Movements in Monochrome. The Dayabandhu CollectionEven a seemingly modest door can reveal a collector’s personal paradise within. Unifying Eye brings together a considered selection from the remarkable personal collection of Michael Evans, also known by his Buddhist name Dayabandhu. The extensive collection, gathered over the last 30 or so years, extended to some 1200 objects that he cherished and lived with in his South London apartment. Nearing 200 pieces, the ceramics featured in the sale have been carefully selected by Maak to reflect Dayabandhu’s unifying eye, which brought a sense of calm cohesion to such an extensive collection as a whole. Works in the sale include international masters of studio ceramics, bought at auction and from the most renowned ceramics galleries in the UK. Ceramic artists like Ewen Henderson, Gillian Lowndes, Gordon Baldwin, John Maltby and Claudi Casanovas are well represented. In parallel, there are many artists represented who have more recently emerged as leading lights in the field, discovered and supported by the collector at the very start of their career, such as Edmund de Waal, Akiko Hirai, Annie Turner and Sarah Flynn. Few live with their collection with such intensity. At Dyabandhu’s South London home, every surface of every room was filled with pots. The eye didn’t know where to rest, every moment offering the potential to discover a new hidden treasure. “Considering the vastness of the collection, it is astonishing how harmonious his environment was. Nothing jarred, nothing shouted, there was a satisfying sense of rhythm and repetition of colours, textures and forms where the works conversed with each other respectfully. Brought together through Dyabandhu’s clear sense of inner purpose, the collection was united through his eye to become a…
